Dead Man's Blues
by BerylCoronet
Summary: A man called Wang Yao find himself on a personal adventure to achieve his dream. He found himself in danger one day interviewing a vampire, and another man swoops in and save him from the immediate danger. This man is Ivan Braginsky, and soon, they join each other as travelling companion to complete Yao's dream.
1. Chapter 1

**Dead Man's Blues**

**I didn't proofread at all so if anyone find any glaring mistake that changes meaning, please let me know. Thank you.**

**A/N: Sorry I was pretty distracted and busy most of the time these days, so chances are low I might finish this. I'll just see it as it goes I guess. Also, I think it's pretty hard to find a good name, so in the end it became: "Dead man's blues". Hope nobody minds.**

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A lone man was walking down a pebbled path in a quick light-footed manner. His fingers clamped shut on the straps of his backpack, and his long soot black hair is tied up in a ponytail swinging side by side with each leap and bounce he made. His curious eyes scan and observe his surroundings as he continued to walk down the path, shoes crunching against the stones with each step taken, sounds drowning in the distanced animalistic howling and the rustling of leaves in the chilling wind. The man turned back, eyes darting side to side, hoping to catch anything hiding in the shadows of the trees and rocks, none. He turned back and continued his route, perhaps, he thought, that he have been thinking too much, but he still can't shake the nagging feeling that he have been followed by something.

The high and cluttered trees cast an even darker shadow against an even more ominous sky, as though any moment now, rain would fall on these sullied lands. The man squinted his eyes in a distance, there seems to be some sighs of settlements up front, and exactly what he have travelled this far for. The man quickly rustled a map out from his jacket and confirm his suspicion and a smile broke across his face.

It is what he have been looking for.

"The town of Newfalls." The man muttered, licking his lips in excitement, in an exact state as it was described: in ruins. He took out his precious notebook, dog-eared and tattered, licking his thumb with the tip of tongue, he quickly flipped the pages to the description of Newfalls.

'….stricken by plague a few years ago, a resident from Newfalls was famous for playing the blues, lived near the end of the town, near the mountains beside their cemetery….'

"Near the cemetery… Right." The man reads. "That settles it."

He quicken his pace and soon finds himself face to face to the entrance of Newfalls. The dark and greys of the town almost blends in neatly with their solemn background of trees and mountains, and there is almost no signs of life their street, saved for a lady sitting at the porch outside one of the rows of houses. The big rusty "Welcome to Newfalls" sign above creaks dangerously against the moans of the winds, the gates surrounding the settlements are equally rusty and unkept. The man took a step into the town, then another, scanning around his surroundings and heightening his senses for any potential dangers charging into his way. He walks on, towards the lady sitting at her porch, staring to her front. From a distance, he can't see her face as it was covered in a huge rattan hat positioned to her head with big ribbons tied down under her chin, the thick layered dress are filled with ribbons and frills as well, she look almost like a dull coloured porcelain doll.

The man looks up to the lady and realise up close that her dull looking attire is covered with a layer of grime and dirt, the frills are tattered with holes big and small, here and there. Though what's truly unsettling is that perpetual grin on lady's wrinkled dried skin and her bulging eyes. The man let out a sigh of resignation, for he knew from experience these are signs of not so good news, he still spoke: "Good lady, may I know the way to the to the cemetery?"

The lady's dried, bulging eyeball staring at the distance creaks to look at the man, and for a good one minute there was no answer. The man suddenly felt unconscious at how glaring he contrasted against the dulls of this town. He is dressed in bright red buttoned shirt, with a white sleeveless shirt underneath, and a long black pants, comfortable enough for a long walks and hikes, and loose enough to fight off some troublesome creatures should the need arise.

"It's been some time since our town have any visitors." The women croaks out, then she turned her head to the left and pointed to the distance. "Turn left once you reached the last house and a left again. Walk straight and you will see what you are looking for." She turns her head back to the man and hush with her wrinkled lips: "But be careful, the mist is gathering, do you want to have a cup of tea?"

Sure enough, the mist surrounding the town seems to have thicken since the man first step into this place. "Thank you for your offer, good lady, but I have a place to go. You have a nice day now." The man added quickly, turning around and heading towards his destination. The man walks down the sandy path and look at the houses surrounding his side, his initial deduction was wrong, and this town was indeed inhabited by people, humanoid shadows are cast against the dim dusty windows, and eyes peek out from the slit of slightly opened doors, staring at the man as he passed them by.

The entrance to the cemetery is another broken down gate, and a lone house stood beside it with smoke still quietly drifting out of the chimney. The man walk up to the chipped wooden door and gave three crisp and loud knocks on it. The rustling of the noises inside the house stopped, and suddenly it gone silent, as though it is hesitating. Then footstep rustled to the door and it was swung opened.

A jovial face peek out in surprised at the man at the door. "What brings an energetic teenager like you to this sleepy town here?"

"Hi Mister, my name is Wang Yao, I have heard from men in Northon that you used to play some very good blues around that area, and I have come to Newfalls to find out. I hope I am not bothering you."

"Of course not." the man looked up the sky before answering again. "Do you want to come in and warm yourself up? The clouds looks to be breaking any time now."

"Sure."

A few moments after Yao stepped into the house, as though magically, the rain falls down hard, blurring everything beyond the porch. The deafening sound of rain is softened as the man closed the door after him, Wang Yao looked around observing the house, wondering if such a damp condition will ruin any potential musical instruments this man might have, then again he argued inside his head, there's a possibility that he have already retired.

"Thank goodness you decided to head inside. The rain in Newfalls always falls heavily, and it can get very cold." The man commented. "Take a seat, I'll bring in some tea."

Wang Yao nodded and promptly sat down at the wooden bench, leaning his elbow on the table and look at that man. He still doesn't know the name of this man, and for how he introduced his motive for coming, he wonders if it is too late to ask for his name now. The man have scruffy white beard, that connects all the way up to his white hair. His grimy looking white shirt is peppered with yellowish and brownish stains, and it barely even cover his pump belly.

The man brought in some tea and biscuits and placed them on the table before sitting down opposite of Wang Yao. "Try the tea." The man offered, picking up his cup of tea and sipped on it, eyes looking at Yao as though showing him that it taste good and he should try it.

"Mister, may I know how you would like be addressed?" Yao asked, a tad bit too politely for the man's taste.

The man laughed awkwardly. "You can just call me Lemuel. I am known as the Auran. I used to have a head full of golden hair and people said that I shine like a golden sun when I played the blues and that's why they called me the Auran. You might think it's weird to associate the blues with the sun, but let me tell you boy, that the blues that shine the brightest can even make the sun cry." Wang Yao's eyes sparkle bright like two shining crystal at his story, and although the man before him now does not seems like one who have any glorious past, Yao was never one to judge a book by its cover. "Tell me more." The man in red urged, eyes filled with expectations that touched even the scruffy man's heart.

They talked for hours, with Lemuel bringing out photos and his old, broken instruments that he kept as memento, telling the willing Yao everything and every story in his life. He taught the Yao the blues he was taught, the blues he shaped and the blues he would change. Finally, he brought out his last remaining guitar that still makes sound, and he played for his guest. Wang Yao clapped with gusto, eyes and heart filled with gratitude that he can listen to blues of this calibre. "Thank you." Yao said, "I have one more question which I hope you can answer."

Lemuel was thrilled at this point to find a man with as much interest in blues as he does, and he happily replied: "Yes?"

"Are you dead?" Yao asked, as a matter-of-factly.

The question seems to catch Lemuel off guard, and he knitted his brow in response, not sure if he have heard what Yao have asked correctly, or rather unsure of what Yao is trying to get asking him this question. After a few moments, with Yao's eyes looking expectantly at him, that Lemuel answered: "Pardon me, I am not sure what you mean by that question, but I am definitely not dead. I'm right here still talking to you."

The expectant look slipped off Yao's face and he thought of it a few seconds before answering: "Alright." He gaze out of the window with a film of oily sheen, the rain have been pouring the whole duration of conversation and it showed no signs of stopping, but the look in his eyes tell Lemuel that he is ready to leave. "Thank you for your wonderful conversation and I am so glad I can listen to your performance, but I think it is time for me to take my leave." Yao smiled, standing up and took a bow at the man.

He turned to leave but his arms was held back by Lemuel, now with an anxious look on his face. "Where are you going in this rain?"

"I'm going to find more people who can play the blues." Yao answered, looking at him, pretty oblivious to the look on Lemuel's face.

"You can stay here for the night for now. Look at that rain. It won't stop anytime soon." Lemuel offered. "Here, take a seat, you haven't had the tea yet." Wang Yao stare back blankly at him, he tried to drink the tea already, but as someone who have been travelling this much, he knows what kind of suspicious ingredients this man have spike in it. Staying any longer beyond his intention will bring in disaster.

Yao let out a polite smile again. "Thank you for your offer, but I really need to move go now."

The gripped over his arms tightened, and Yao's eyes darted from his arms to Lemuel. "I can play the blues for you, as much as you want to listen. Just stay here." He said, his jovial face twist into desperation, fingers that tightened on Yao's arms began tugging him back.

"I'm sorry Sir, but I have to decline your kind offer!" Yao added and push Lemuel's hands away from him. He quickly darted towards the door and managed to open it but a rough shove from his back tackled him to the ground, a weight so heavy it pushes all the air out of his lungs.

"G-Get the hell up from me, I can't breathe." Yao gasped, trying to push the man from his back. The weight was soon lifted and before Yao even get a chance to take a breath, he was pulled back to the table by his two legs. There was no need for any more courtesy the moment Lemuel started his hostility against him, Yao turn around and with gave a hard kick towards Lemuel's face, but to his surprise, this man assaulting him have incredible strength, and continued to hold on tight to his ankle.

"You have to stay here. I have already invited you and you have accepted." Lemuel growled, "I won't eat you like how others want to, I can change you and you can stay here with me and I'll play the blues for you forever." His voice progressively changing to a more demonic tone, with snarls and growls in between.

"Must be a werewolf…" Yao muttered, with his free hands fumbling through his jacket for his silver dagger hoping to land a stab or two on this man. Lemuel pour the tea onto Yao's face, much to his dismay, he wiped them off his face but a few drops of it went into his system through his nose. He sat up and grabbed the dagger from his inner jacket pocket, he lunged at Lemuel trying to use his body weight to push the dagger into his chest. Lemuel grabbed Yao's throat with his sweaty fingers and slam him on the floor with such force that the dagger slipped out of his fingers and bounce out of reach with a clink.

"I'm dead." Yao choked out as the grip around his throat tightens. His lips parted as he gasps for breath, Lemuel sees this as a chance and forces the tip of the teapot into Yao's mouth and poured the tea generously into him. "Don't worry, I promise it won't hurt when I bite you, this tea will knock you out and once you wake up it will be all over."

Yao kicked him again, hard, and again, but his eyes are blurring with tears and he is feeling lightheaded from the constriction. Lemuel blood shot eyes widened in delight as he opened his mouth, two teeth from each end of his mouth extend out into two long canines. Wang Yao's eyes shot wide in response: A vampire, he thought. Yao reaches out to his bag, there should be a bottle of holy water in there.

The door swung open with a loud bang and Yao turned to see a tall hooded figure dripping with water standing. Then he turned back and see Lemuel tilting his head down to the side of his neck for a bite. Yao pushed against his chest and struggled, to no avail. Wang Yao can feel his breath tickling on his neck, and all of a sudden, something cold and wet slipped in between his neck and Lemuel's teeth, and Lemuel in his bloodlust clamped his teeth shut, drinking it.

A pale arm dripping with bright blue substance from the punctured hole became apparently to Wang Yao in such close proximity, it dripped onto his cheek, trailing down to his neck, he turns to find the arm belong to the dark figure at the door, now squatting beside them. The grip around his neck loosen and with a swift clean effort, the figure push Lemuel away and pull Yao away from him. The last Yao ever saw Lemuel, unsurfaced bubbles rumbled through his face and body, as though threatening to break through his skin any time, his pain twisted into a tortured expression, his screams are just gargling. The figure shift his body, shielded Wang Yao away from Lemuel, the scream only lasted a few more seconds and suddenly multiple loud popping sounds are heard followed by the splatters of thick, viscous fluid and then all was quiet again.

The figure shifted again and look down at Yao. The meagre light that shone into the house reflected itself against the figure's face, it cast sharp shadows on the features of a very good-looking but worried face. Cold, slender fingers wipe the blue liquid off Yao's face and neck, and finally a gentle voice asked: "Are you okay?"

"Who are you?" Yao demanded as he slipped in and out of consciousness. The tea Lemuel force fed him is finally taking effect, and Wang Yao knows he can't fall now, he don't even know if this stranger helped him in good faith or is just another thing seeking to harm him. He struggled to open his eyes and struggled to sit up from the stranger's arms. He held onto his head, trying to steady himself as the world around him turns. The stranger is quiet as he continued to sit down beside him, eyes still looking at Yao, he lifted his hands again and moved towards Wang Yao's cheek, out of natural instinct, Yao jerk away and look at him in shock. "What are you doing?"

The stranger stopped and pointed to the side of his cheek still smeared with those blueish stuff: "It won't be good if those things got into your body."

"I'm sorry." Yao apologised, letting out a huge sigh of relieve. It doesn't seem like this stranger is up to anything bad, as of now. "I almost got bitten by a vampire because I was not careful. Anyway, thank you for your help."

The stranger sat up straighter and beamed, now that Yao finally look at this man, he realise that this man look more childlike than just a handsome looking face. The inquisitive purple eyes glitter with whatever light there is in this musky room. Wang Yao can't help but smile back at this innocence. He suddenly remember the man, no wait, the vampire that tried to turn him and he asked: "Where's Lemuel? That old man vampire? Is he dead?"

Wang Yao shifted to the side where the stranger's body no longer hide the mess and found Lemuel's lower half of the body still in a kneeling position, abruptly ended in his waist, half broken spine stuck with bits and pieces of blue flesh, Lemuel's upper half of the body have been burst all over the room, and it would have splattered all over Yao if not for the stranger. "Wha… What just happened? What happened to his soul…?" Yao asked in distress, and before the stranger could even reply, a sudden blackness took over.

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Wang Yao scowled before he could even barely open his eyes, a thick bitter taste invaded every inch of his mouth. Water splashes against his face now and then and he felt that body in front of him is extremely cold, so much colder than the rain splashing against them. He stirred. "You're awake." the same gentle voice asked. Yao felt somebody pushes him up and he finally managed to open his eyes. He is mostly shielded from the rain because the stranger carrying him on his back covered him with his waterproof hood, but it leaves the stranger drenched in the rain.

"Just awhile more and we will reach the inn soon." The stranger said, tightening his grip on the man on his back. "You'll be okay."

The next time Wang Yao opened his eyes again, he was already in changed to dry clothing and tucked into a comfortable bed, the fireplace at the corner of the room crackles its warmth against the roar of the rain outside the window. The event that almost changed his life seems almost like a distanced memory, and the atmosphere now feels just right for a sound of blues, Wang Yao purr like a satisfied cat as he pulled the duvet up his shoulders and snuggle into the pillow. A chill runs up his spine like a serpent slithering through, he let out a loud sneeze as it reaches his nose, tickling it. The door opens and the stranger looks at him in surprised, "You're awake" he asked, the second time now.

The warm colours in the room reveal the face of the stranger who have saved him from the hell hole. He is a tall man, with a flair flaxen hair, he possess a pale complexion, almost bloodless, but his eyes are is a beautiful purple, sharp and alert. He is holding a mug of steaming of hot drink and some biscuits, a welcoming sight for Yao.

He wanted to ask the stranger for his name, but eyes fixated on the treats and he said: "Are those for me?"

The stranger look to the tray and back to him and nodded earnestly. He quickly placed them on the table and beckon the man to eat. Wang Yao almost clambered over in delight, the stranger stood staring at him, not sitting down. It took Yao a few bites before noticing that and he asked: "Why aren't you sitting?"

The stranger sat down beside him and placed his hands on his laps. Wang Yao scrutinize him over his biscuit and cocoa, not really caring that crumbs at the corner of his mouth might leave a bad impression, he asked another question: "What's your name?"

The stranger look at him, not expecting a question of this sort from him. "You can call me Ivan."

"Ivan.." Wang Yao repeat after him. "Well, nice to meet you Ivan, thank you so much for your help, my name is Wang Yao." He wiped his fingers full of crumbs on his shirt and lifted out a hand for Ivan to shake. Ivan stare at the scar across the man's outstretched palm, then back at the man himself, unsure of what to do. Impatient that Ivan is taking so long, Yao grabbed hold of his hands and shake it, and he noticed that Ivan's arms are cold, unnaturally cold. Ivan quickly struggled out of his hands and smile awkwardly, thinking of ways to distract Wang Yao from this topic.

"What brings you to Newfalls?" Yao asked, eyes trailed towards at his arms, he recalled that the vampire have bitten him, but his arms are now covered in his long sleeve canvas trench coat. Ivan blink, still looking at him, hesitating. Wang Yao narrowed his eyes. "You're the one who was following me these few days, aren't you?" Ivan's eyes widen subtly, but Yao caught it. "Why did you follow me?" Yao demanded, fingers that was feeding his mouth the biscuit suddenly stopped, he placed it back at the plate again, afraid that it might be tampered with.

"I.. was bored." Ivan replied, a lie, but not exactly. He was really bored, but he didn't follow him purely because he was bored. It was just an instinct he couldn't ignore, and it's not like he have any other thing he have to do.

"Bored…" Yao scowled, looking at him up and down. "You don't see me being bored and follow another person everywhere." Ivan look as though a cat got his tongue. "You're a vampire just like Lemuel, aren't you?" Yao ask another question again.

"No, I'm not!" Ivan lied, face still maintain that expressionless façade.

"You liar, move your sleeve up."

Ivan roll both his sleeve up to his elbows and show it to Yao. "See it for yourself."

Wang Yao narrow his eyes, scrutinizing the arms. "You're still lying." Yao decided. "Vampires have fast regenerative skills, the only way to kill them is either the sun or the holy water. Wait, does this means Lemuel is not dead yet. That means, there still might be a chance." He stood up, wanting to take out his notebook from his bag pack. But Ivan thought that Yao is insane enough to go back to that man again after narrowly escape from his claws.

"What's so good about that guy that you need to go back after he tried to kill you?" Ivan ask anxiously, grabbing onto Yao's arm tightly, not letting him move an inch further. "Who are you to care, let me go." Yao tugged at his arms, trying to break free from the clutch. "I saved your life." Yao's face softened. "I just need to confirm something, he is the closest I've ever gotten to reaching my dream, let me go. Please." Yao pleaded desperately.

"What's your dream that's so important that you are willing to throw your life away like that?" Ivan ask.

Wang Yao stood there, hesitant on telling him. "If you are going to tell me things like 'that's impossible' or 'it's just a rumour' or 'it's just an idiom' or anything like that, you can save it."

"I won't."

Yao look at Ivan, and Ivan look back at him, urging him on.

"I want to find a soul to play me the blues."

Without any other expression on his face, Ivan let go of his hand. He took a deep breath and look back at Yao, finally he said: "Sorry to disappoint you but a vampire does not have a soul. So even if vampire back in Newfalls dies or not, there will not be a soul left to play the blues you wanted."

"You're lying." Yao called out, indignant.

"I will lie about anything except for that."

"Why?"

Ivan look at him with his purple eyes.

"Because I am one." He said under his breath, looking away, very sure that Yao might throw him out of the room. Instead, Yao falls dramatically onto his knees, holding his head, he let out a deep frustrated groan. "Arghhhh, that means all my work for the past one year have been a waste, all those travelling have gone to waste! And I am still not one step closer to it, this is the absolute worst!" Yao plopped down on the wooden floor on his side and let out a sigh of resignation, but his brain is already moving to his next plan.

Ivan did not realise it and thought Yao was upset with him but was afraid that he might a cold lying on the floor. Ivan stood up and went over to pick up him. To Ivan, Yao is so light he could even carry him with one arm. The man in his arm was deep in thought, but suddenly he look up at him and ask: "How did you know that vampires doesn't have a soul?"

Ivan gave him a look.

"I know you are a vampire. But how did you know? This knowledge can't be magically be in your brain the moment you are a vampire. And… how did Lemuel burst into such an ugly state after biting you. I don't recall reading anything like that in the library's archives. And if they really don't have souls, where do they go after they die? Oh my god, there are so much questions unanswered. With none of them answered, I am nowhere near my dream. And who are you? How did you know where I am?" Yao rambled on and on. Finally, he realise he was being carried by a man he barely know for a day, and he struggled out of Ivan's arms.

"Do you know the answers?" Yao ask, holding onto his trench coat and staring up at his eyes earnestly.

Ivan did not answer.

Desperate, Yao let go of him and began packing up his bag. "I'm so sorry" Yao said as he packs, "I know I owe you my life, I'll pay you whatever I can now, and I will owe you one. But right now, I need to go back to the library."

"You can pay me back by letting me go with you." Ivan uttered.

"What?" Yao turned around, looking at Ivan.

"I'll travel with you."

"No."

"Why? You said whatever you can."

"Yes, but that does not include travelling with me."

"I will accept travelling with you as your form of payment." Ivan insisted.

"You.." Yao stuttered. "Ah..Fine. Travel with me all you want. I won't pay you back for the lodgings."

Ivan chuckled. "It's okay." Then he quickly realise that Yao is hellbent on leaving the inn right now, despite the pouring rain outside. "It's still raining, I'll tell you what I know tonight, so stay. We can travel tomorrow morning, or afternoon, depending on when the rain stops."

"You will?" Yao rebuff.

"We are travelling companions now, so yes, I can tell you everything you want to know that I have a knowledge of." Ivan announced cheekily, he sit down at the table, and pat the seat beside him. "Here have a seat. I'm ready to answer anything you want to know."

Sceptical, Yao slowly walks back to the table. He sat down and look at Ivan who have that same cheeky grin from just now. After thinking for a few second, Yao ask: "Alright, first question, who are you?"

"I was a farmer's son back in Meadowgrove in a town of Larton. One day, a lady from the royal family came by our town during a season of drought. She told my father that she like how I look, so she bought me from my family with the saying that she will make me her son. And she did. She, together with her husband are the ancestor of the vampires, the ones with the purest blood, or rather in fact, vampirism came from them because they created it. They are two scientists seeking to create immortality as they do not trust others to do it. And to do that, they tried everything, they tampered with different demons and angels, they created the undead and the ghouls, unnatural beings and even herbs and poisons of all sorts. And they finally found the answers in all these things combined, the rumoured big bats of the North was part of the final ingredients. Not sure which part of the bat was used, but we can turn into a bat if we try. So, to answer your question, I am Ivan Braginsky, son of Alexander and Victoria Braginsky of Wolford."

Yao tilted his head a little. As though finding all this information a little hard to swallow, this man in front of him turns out to be a royalty of the vampire. This leads Yao to the second question though and he ask again: "Okay, Mr Royal Vampire, what brings you here then? Are you really so bored with life in your palace that you decide to just follow any random people around?"

"Have you been to Wolford?" Ivan asked him back.

"Yes, I did."

"You went to the hanging coffins at Wolford, right?"

"Uhh… Yes, I did. And what about it?"

"Our castle was at Wolford, shrouded in magic. But my father and mother was finding life a chore and decided to go to sleep, so they prepared the hanging coffins for all their children and themselves, first draining all the blood from our body before placing into the coffin, then a mechanical timer with a drop of human blood will be fixated inside the coffin above the face. After 300 years, this human blood will be dropped onto our face and we will wake up from our slumber again."

"Sorry to interrupt but what does that got to do with you following me?" Yao said as a matter of fact.

"That drop of human blood belongs to my mother, Victoria's, when she was still a human. When it get drops onto our face, we will wake up and we will sense her to a small extent. But when you climb the mountains with the hanging coffins, my coffin was broken, and you poured your blood onto me. I woke up prematurely because that you know. Do you know how much blood you pour into that coffin? Onto me?"

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. The vines over that area cut my palm. Look!" Yao apologised, placing out his palm into Ivan's face.

"It doesn't matter." Ivan replied, grabbing onto his hands, stroking the scar along his palm. "Must have hurt…"

"Yes, it does! I almost thought my hand was a goner." Yao exaggerated, taking his hands back and stare at his palm, sulking. "I heard there was vampires there. I thought I would try my luck, but turns out they are all just sleeping, as you said. And all the coffins are shut pretty tightly as well."

"It was supposed to keep out intruders like you."

Yao pouted. He sat there, thinking about his attitude towards Ivan till now. "Sorry."

"As for your questions as to that other vampire, he really died. Vampires are susceptible to holy water and the sun, but it still doesn't actually kill them. It just reduces them dust particle, but these dust particles will regenerate again once they are in the right condition again. But, all the third generation and after vampires will die if they drink the blood of their ancestors, which are my family and me."

Yao look interested again. "That's something new. Must be hard preventing your own kind's blood into your mouth."

"Not exactly. This rule doesn't apply to use though. I don't die, to the sun to the holy water or to my own, my siblings or my father and mother's blood. I just live." He shrugged.

"Must be tough." Yao muttered under his breath.

"Vampires have no soul because part of the theory that created vampirism is that a body is perishable because it is only a vessel for the soul, to make your body imperishable, the soul need to be shattered to allow the body to absorbed it. That's why it hurts that much when a vampire bit you, I guess you already died then."

"How do you know all these?" Yao asked.

"We have a library documenting all these." Ivan replied, pretending to ignore the glowing eyes in Yao's general direction.

"CA-…"

"Would you look at the time already!" Ivan cut him off. "Come let's tuck you into the bed." He quickly added, and he nudge Yao into the direction of the bed.

"BU-"

"If we don't sleep now, we won't be able to wake up in time in the morning for the travel. And it would be bad if the crowd comes in in the afternoon for the Saturday market fair. Come now, let's sleep." Ivan said, pushing Yao onto the bed and pulling the blanket over him.

"Where are you sleeping?" Yao asked, as he resign to letting Ivan tuck him into bed. He have decided to pester him in the morning instead.

"I'll just read a book or something and wait for the morning to rise." Ivan shrugged.

"Do vampire sleep?"

"Yah we do, we just don't die from the lack of sleep."

Yao look at him, and then shifted himself to the other side of the bed. "It's big enough for the two of us, come on in. Take off your coat before coming in."

Ivan hesitated, and before he can even decide, Yao grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him down. "Come on." He said to Ivan. "It's time for bed like you said. Take off your coat." Unwillingly, Ivan took off his trench coat, revealing a white, body fit T shirt underneath. The shirt hugs his muscle, showing every curves and ridges of the body.

"Woah, are all vampires supposed to be this fit." Yao asked, poking at his bicep in curiosity.

"No." Ivan said, annoyed. "Go to bed. "he continued, pushing Yao's head onto the pillow and pulling the blanket over them. Then, reaching to the side table, he closes the light.

"Goodnight." Yao said, before turning to the other side.

A strong wave of nostalgia wash over Ivan, a simple goodnight before bed, and the body warmth seems like everything he have been seeking for. It reminded him of home, a feeling he have forgotten. Ivan closes his eyes, thinking that perhaps it's not all that bad. Perhaps fate always have their own ways of working things around, but he still can't lie to himself and say that being a vampire is something he wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dead man's Blues C2**

**A/N: The music pieces referenced in this chapters are: "Fires of Revolution - Lionel Yu(MUSICALBASICS)" and also "Last Goodbye - Michael Ortega". Also, THANKS Ilich for the review.**

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Yao stirred on the bed, feeling cold. He opened up his eyes and realise he can't move. A pair of arms held around him quite tightly, one around his waist and one around his neck. He tried to struggle away, but Ivan Is strong. 'Granted, Ivan is a vampire and he should be this strong, but really? He is cold like an ice pop and what does two men hugging on the bed looks like!?' Yao thought. He tried prying away Ivan's fingers and arms, but there still no reaction from the man behind him.

"Ivan." Yao called. "Ivan wake up."

A soft sharp intake of breath and a soft groan, and finally the arms around him loosen.

"Stop hugging me. You're very cold." Yao said, pushing Ivan's chest to distance each other.

Ivan's half opened eyes seems to register the basic situation and he withdrew his arms and quickly mutter a sorry before turning to the other side and fall back asleep. Yao sat there staring at his back, he pulled the duvet away from Ivan before justifying himself by saying out loud: "You're a vampire, you won't die from the cold." Before long, Yao felt Ivan snuggling up and into the blanket beside him again. Frustrated, he sat up and shake Ivan awake.

"Hello. Can you stop doing that? You're not a kid and you're very cold." Yao scolded.

"But you're warm and the bed is warm from your body heat. What's wrong with sharing it?" Ivan whined, eyes barely open, rubbing his arms to soothe down the goose bump from cold, he pulled the duvet over his body and fell back into the pillows.

"Hello. You won't die from the cold, but I will." Yao argue but it definitely fell on deaf ears for Ivan is not moving a single bit. Annoyed, he got out of the bed and out of the room. Ivan's eyes open at the sound of the door closing, heart sinking a little. He cover his head in the duvet, wondering if he took it too far.

The door open and close again, the footsteps shuffled near his side of the bed. It got lifted up and Yao pushed in something warm before tucking it back it, the heat emanating throughout his body and trapped underneath the duvet, warming him up. He felt a strange bliss from this warmth and pull up the water bag to his chest. "Thank you." He said, popping his head and smile.

"Go to sleep." Yao said, shaking his head. "Just stop squeezing with me."

Promptly, they went back to bed and fell asleep.

The morning comes and the rain that fell for what seems like forever finally stopped. Birds don't chirp in this town, but the ugly cawing by some big black birds signalled the start of the day. Yao ordered some breakfast while Ivan stare at him, since as Ivan said so himself: "Vampires don't need human food for sustenance."

Ivan wore his long black hood that covers most part of his body and both of them are soon on their way to the library Yao wanted to go. The sun is blazing and the rays the beat down are searing even to Yao, he turns to his side to see the occasional sunlight that hit onto Ivan's face sizzle and burn down to his flesh and bones, and only a few seconds or few minutes later his flesh gurgle and creeped out with speed, healing it. The sight itself is pretty disgusting, but the sound of it actually made Yao's hair at the neck stand.

"So how do we actually go to this library you are talking about?" Ivan asked, he look up at the abrupt clearing of those ominous looking tree, his hood fell out of his head and the sunlight burn the upper half of his face. "Ah!" Ivan let out, hand rush to his forehead as he squat down and hide his face in his knees. The back of his head sizzle and Yao look on with pain and frustration, wondering why this vampire is so dumb.

Yao cover his head with his hood, patting it, a chill run down his spine as he heard the squishing sound. "Please be more careful."

"I'm okay, the sun just suddenly burn out my eyeballs and I can't see for a moment." Ivan said cheerily, wanting to look up again but Yao held his head down.

"Hide your face under the hood." Yao exclaim, "The library is quite far away, near Azmar. Unless there's a way we can afford to pay a mage for teleportation, else there's not really a way around it."

"I'm not in a rush."

A vein near Yao's temple twitch in Ivan's response. 'Yeah, but I am. Does this blockhead actually have any idea how far Azmar is from here?' Yao silently answered. "Anyway, we need to take a boat, that for sure, and I ran out of gold, so I'm going to the Crossroad first to earn some. Unless… we can somehow just go to Wolford, that would be great I guess." Yao tested, squatting and looking at Ivan's face. Ivan avoided his eyes and replied: "Ah, that sounds like a good idea, we get to go to Crossroad, it's been so long since I have gone there, it would be great to visit that beautiful trading city again."

Yao narrow his eyes at Ivan and nodded his head. "Very interesting adjective used to describe the Crossroad. Let's go, we will need to rent a horse if we want to make it there fast."

They reached a place that rent horses to Crossroad and make their way towards their destination. The Crossroad is a neutral area, and that means it's a melting pot for everyone and everything, as long as you don't cause any trouble that is. Nobody is going to judge you, and nobody is going to ask you where you come from, it's a place where you can find almost anything for sale, you got the gold, they got the goods. That means that you can see big baddies name around, you get to see archangels and archdaemon hanging around the same bars, the vampires and werewolves holding some blood party orgy somewhere in the town. The best part for Yao is the music, the bars always have some prominent blues guest and he would spend his all gold drinking and tipping away for a good time. It was a lively and interesting place, despite not being the safest, Yao always look forward visiting the Crossroad.

Except for seeing that one person.

"WANG YAO!" a familiar voice called out to the two men, or vampire, on the horses. They are just getting down to return it to the stables when they heard that. Yao visible jerk when he heard it, and reluctantly, he turned around and coming towards him is a big smiling face. A man with a head full of the brightest gold hair, a most charming smile and a red frame spectacle on top of his nose bridge, he is dressed in a brown bomber jacket, a black shirt underneath and a pair of black tight fitted jean.

"What do you want, Alfred?" Wang Yao asked listlessly.

"Come on Yao, that's not how you greet your best friend after you've been gone for so long." Alfred replied enthusiastically, he wrap his arms around Yao's neck and dragged him along. Ivan took an instant disliking to this loud, obnoxious and rude man, but seeing Yao was pulled along, he decided to follow them. The sun is at it's brightest, drowning this noisy city in bloody red, and though it is no longer hot, the mere touch of sunlight still burns his skin.

"Come on, let's go for a drink at your favourite bar." Alfred urged, giving him nudge. "Lots have happened here when you're away! I have to update them all to you! And why did you leave for so long? We all missed you here ya know."

Yao gave him a look before saying: "Yeah, who's that person that locked me up in the room when I refused to play the guitar for his band? Besides, I have things I need to do."

"Aww, come on Yao, it wasn't all that bad." Alfred argued.

"Hello? You locked me in that fucking room for a week just to play your band, you're a nutcase." Yao corrected, annoyed at his nonchalant attitude. "What do you want? I'm really in a rush and I can only be here for a week." He continued, he knows that despite Alfred's obnoxious and pushy attitude, he do have a lot of connections that can bring him the quick buck that he needs, but mostly Yao knows that Alfred is filthy rich and he's generous with it.

"You came back at just the right time, the beer festival is just around the corner and I have my own concert right smack in the middle of Crossroads. And you, are definitely joining me as my lead guitarist. Don't worry, I'll provide the lodging as usual, and of course the gold after the festival is done." Alfred laugh, patting a tad bit too hard across Yao's back that he push Alfred's hands away. Still, Alfred took no note of it and continued dragging him from place to place and greeting the roadside stall owners.

"Here's the key." Alfred held it out before dropping into Yao's palm. "The best in the inn but still only one room and one bed. Your new vampire underling can either sleep on the floor or he can sleep outside." He continued, pointing at the Ivan. Then he lean down very closely to Yao's ears and whisper: "Or if he is bothering you, you can always tell me. I got a way to chase him away." Then just as he sudden as he appears, Alfred was gone again.

Wang Yao turn to Ivan, the sun have already set but Ivan did not pull down his hood earlier because he did not want to see Alfred at all, his face irks him to no end. 'How do I tell Ivan nicely that he should go and get his own room in some inn and stop following me around like a ghost.' Yao wonder but then his heart soften when he saw Ivan's tired face. 'Well I get him; Alfred is a chore to hang out with.' He thought bitterly. Then he put the key into Ivan's hand before moving pass him, but Ivan turn with him and continued following him.

"Go to the room and take a rest."

"Are you not going to the room because I am there?" Ivan asked.

"What?" Yao asked in disbelief.

"I mean if you're uncomfortable with being in the same room as me I can always find another inn to stay."

"Huh?" Yao blurted out. "Who said I am uncomfortable with you? I was just going to get my dinner before going back. Ivan dear, not everyone is a vampire that can absorb the air as sustenance."

"Oh." Ivan let out, looking embarrassed. If there's any blood in his veins, his face would have been tomato red. "I want to follow you." He insisted.

Shaking his head, Yao walk on and said: "Up to you."

The streets are still busy with peddlers selling trinkets of various sorts, weird and interesting treats from every corners of the world. Yao's eyes scan from stall to stall interesting items that will catch his eyes, and when he turn around, he realise that Ivan is suddenly gone, he turn back some more and realise that Ivan is stuck in one stall, just standing there staring. It's a candy stall, or more specifically, a candy sculpture stall where the master will pull out some sugar melted into thick sugar and it will be sculpted into various things like a rose, a horse, a frog, the master and add on colours and it would as though they breathe in life to these candies.

Wang Yao walk back and stood beside Ivan, the master is now sculpting a white mass of sugar, and his quick tweezing and turning and soon, four limbs are form and two long ears are seen. It's a rabbit, and Ivan look at it with delight. After some quick colouring with his brush, the master hands the white rabbit on the stick to Ivan and told him: "Be quick in eating these guys, else they would run away."

Ivan nodded and paid.

Then they walk down the street side by side again. Yao observing Ivan and Ivan admiring the white rabbit. Carefully, Ivan bit a tiny piece of candy out of the rabbit's ear and roll that piece with his tongue, but beyond that he can't bear to finish this candy. "If you're not gonna eat it, it will really run away soon." Yao reminded him. Ivan doesn't seem to hear it and continued smiling at his rabbit.

Yao chose a stall selling noodles and sat down. Ivan's face change to the food placed on the table, and he watches intently as Yao slurps up his noodles and crunch into the fried side dishes. If eyes could water for the same reason as the mouth, Ivan would be bawling right now, so distracted that he did not notice that the rabbit's head turn to him and its little black eyes started blinking. "Can you stop staring at me? It's stressful eating when someone is looking." Yao asked with his mouth full of food. "Okay." Ivan said indignantly, looking back at his rabbit, but sneaking glances at Yao and his food. Yao finishes his food and they start making their way back to the inn. Suddenly Ivan grabbed hold onto Yao, eyes widened at his candy, "Yao, the.. the rabbit's ears are twitching!" The rabbit's head turns from Ivan then to Yao, it shake itself free from Ivan's stick bit by bit and suddenly it hops down onto the ground. For its tiny size, it hops on from tiles to tiles fast, quickly disappearing amongst the legs of the crowds. "NO!" Ivan shouted, "You're not allowed to leave me." Ivan ran nimbly after the rabbit, and before Yao reacted, he lost Ivan.

The rabbit hop and hop, and as all critters seek dark places for shade and comfort, it jumped into a dark house which have a single steep staircase deep down. It jump down again, down the stairs which lead to a thick metal door, Ivan followed down and just then the thick metal door was pushed open and loud pulsing music blare out accompanied by blinding and shiny green lights, two pairs of legs, one with heels and another with boots covered in spikes came out, and one leg crushed the poor white rabbit into pieces. "No…" Ivan mumbled, but he was already noticed by the two people.

"You reckon he's vampire?" the man with lip piercings and dark eyes whisper to the girl with thick makeup beside him. "I'll prefer if he's a human." The girl giggled, licking and biting on her ruby red lips. The girl spare no time to waste as she clings herself on Ivan's arm and waist, her latex skirt rubs against his body, the man hook his arms around Ivan's neck and convince him to go into the room. "Come on, it's a fun party. Try this." The girl egged on, bringing out a pill filled with red translucent liquid and force it into Ivan's mouth "We have extra blood for newcomers."

As the pill breaks inside Ivan's mouth, he realises that its human blood. The delicious salty taste spread across his mouth and as he swallows it down, a strong desire tore through his body, he felt his canine grew out in response, warmth fills his eyes as it turns black and red, he could hear veins pulsing deliciously from the inside of the room. He wants to sink his teeth down so badly, but his last shred of consciousness said no, he will lose himself to his bloodlust. Ivan pushes the man and the women away, and they both crashes into the wall, cracking it. Ivan held his head and ran out of the house, into the street where the air was cooler, it clears his head a little, but he could hear the veins, he could hear the vibration in the air brushing against his skin, taunting him. Ivan swallowed, the last trace of blood left in his mouth are all down into his throat, he licked his lips, wishing for more.

Frustrated, he ran back to the inn, and found Yao waiting outside the door. "There you are, where have you been?" Yao look up to him, a little taken aback by Ivan's bloodshot eyes and long canine teeth. "Woah, what happened?" he asked Ivan.

He stare at Yao for the longest time, he recalled the mass orgy blood parties his father and mother once held. Parties he refuses to join and parties them children of the royal family are not allowed to join. But he peeked, and for the longest time, he stare at Yao recalling those stuff. Finally, he let out the breath he have been holding in and smile as wide as he can, showing his teeth and said: "Do I look cool with these teeth?"

Yao rolled his eyes and said: "Seriously? Open the room, I'm dying for a bath." And Ivan was glad to avoid looking at Yao in his eyes, but Yao's veins, Yao's presence, he can feel them so deeply its agonising that he almost feel like he could cry. "Eh, why are you so slow." Yao said, holding his hands over Ivan's and turn the key left, then right all the way. Pushing the door open, he walks in a few steps before turning around to face Ivan. "Do-"

*Thump*

Ivan pounce on Yao and Yao fell on his back, hitting his head onto the floor. Luckily for him, it's a carpeted ground, and it doesn't hurt as much. "What is wrong with you?" Yao shouted at him. Ivan's mouth snarl, but his teeth are gritted against each other, the palm on each side of Yao's head holding Ivan up scrunch into two fists, trembling. In between his lips, he managed: "Are you going to bath without your clothes on?"

"What are you asking? Of course not? How the hell do you bath with clothes on? Really Ivan, the kind of questions you ask are really weird." Yao knit his brow, Ivan move his head in between Yao's neck, breathing in deeply and exhaling against his skin. "Sorry. For asking such question. You should be quick; I would want a bath too." Then, Ivan rolled onto the floor beside Yao, but staring at the ceiling with all his willpower.

"You're weird." Yao commented, as he stood up and went to the bathroom.

"Stop Ivan, stop. You can't do this to the person who is so nice to you." Ivan whine as he curls up on the floor in pain. "Why can't I do what want to him without him dying. Why can't I just bite him, just a taste of that blood that brings me back to this world. Just a taste of what it feels like to be inside him, just .. just to hear his voice calling my name, begging for my name. No… I cannot. I can't. I shouldn't and I can't do this. "

"I'm done. It's your turn now." Yao called out, half naked with a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body as he wipe his hair dry with another. Then he realise that Ivan is curling up on the floor and walk over to him. He squat down and started patting on his head. "Are you okay? You look and sound weird ever since you came back, did you eat that rabbit after it jump through the floor? Do vampires have stomach issues after eating human food? You poor thing, I'm not sure if vampires will get well eating medicine meant for humans but I'm sure I have some in my bag." He said, walking over to the bag now.

His back Is facing Ivan when he heard a whisper: "I'm sorry." But when he turn around, Ivan was gone.

Ivan ran through the street like a wind. He knows there must be a church somewhere, somewhere away from Yao, from hurting him. The desire brought on by the human blood is too strong, it's in his instinct to want more, it's in his very blood to crave for more, and now, after being revive into this world with Yao's blood, he direction of craving became solely towards Yao, he is afraid of what he is capable of doing to him.

As though somebody is finally answering his prayers, a church bell crack through the sky with it's beautiful tinker, a much-dreaded sound to all that is unholy, but Ivan jumped up the roofs of the buildings with his superhuman strength and hop through the sky towards the sound. The church is empty, mostly cause it's already late, but there's still lights at the chapel door. Ivan walk towards it, and place his hands onto the door, tiny flames and spark ignited on his skin where it touches the door, burning him. Ivan smile, as this pain brings him back to his senses. He pushes the door open and found a Father praying, the man in ceremonial robe turns around and knitted his brow.

"What brings a vampire to this holy place." He asked, fingers subconsciously touch the cross hanging near his heart. He notice Ivan's blood shot eyes and canine.

"Father. Please. I beg you to bless me with holy water." Ivan requested, sadness and desperation begged the man in robes. "There's a person I don't wish to hurt. I want to save him from myself, so please."

There's something in Ivan's words that makes the Father acted upon his request. He lifted up the plate of water left on the altar and began to mumble his prayers. Then he turn to Ivan place them on Ivan's trembling fingers. The water gleam and reflected a beautiful glow from the church light, a grim reminder of what Ivan is going to do.

Ivan drank it down right in front of that Father widened eyes.

"What are you doing child?" the Father blurted out.

The water that touches his lips burn it, it corroded his mouth, his tongue and collapse his oesophagus so badly it left a gaping hole at his throat. Ivan did not bat an eyelid to any of it, instead he blink his eyes, the pain covered the bloodthirst he have for anything, and he smile with his half-destroyed lips.

"I won't be able to hurt him this way." Ivan said, his voice coming out as a meek, squeaky voice, almost like a child's. "Father, please prepare me a bottle. I can't hurt him; these wounds will heal, and I can't let them. I'll pay for those water, I'll donate to this church, please help me." He begged; the mechanics of the throat moves as he speaks.

"There's no need." The Father said. He was moved, he thought the water was meant for Ivan to bring to back for that person Ivan was talking about, but this vampire…. He have determination. "Come back tomorrow night at this time, I'll prepare them for you."

"Thank you." Ivan muttered, and turn back. Feet burning and bright blue blood that is beginning to turn red dripped onto the floor in small amount.

Ivan went back to the inn and found Yao already asleep, he took off his coat and throw them on the floor together with his hood at the corner of the room. Fiddling with the gaping hole, Ivan look in the mirror and found them too gruesome to be left exposed like that, he took a towel in the bathroom and wrap around his neck before heading back to the bed. Underneath the blanket was a water bag filled with hot water, Ivan picked it up and hug it, curling around knowing that Yao is asleep behind him.

* * *

Yao tugs gently at Ivan's towel, wrapped around his neck. Ivan's eyes shot wide open with annoyance, "What are you doing." He demanded, but his eyes soften when he saw it's Yao, but his fingers refuse to leave the towel that Yao is tugging. Wang Yao was dressed in bright red leather jacket and a low-cut vest shirt, tight jeans with a few torn slits across the knee and the thigh, hair tied up in a high ponytail, at the side of one of his ears hung a half-broken heart earring. "Why you are hugging the towel like that?" Yao asked.

"I'm cold, don't pull it away." Ivan pouted like a kid, pulling and turning to the other side.

"Fine." Yao replied. "I'll be out the whole day. I'll just leave the keys with you, just be back before midnight to let me in. Bye."

"Bye."

The sun is shining brightly against the curtain that Yao have closed tightly. The pain was hurting less, but it starts to feel lonely again, so he closes his eyes again. The next time he opens his eyes, he could feel his throat healed, replaced by the burning desire of craving again. He swallow, sitting up, pulling the towel away. 'What time is it now." He wondered, looking at the clock on the mantelpiece. It's almost midnight, and quickly, Ivan rushes out to the church, he found the father standing at the exact same spot, with a bottle of water in his hand. Ivan walks in and accept it gratefully. "Thank you, Father."

"Do not thank me, cursed being." the Father said, "I'm merely protecting a human from you. Now go away from this holy site, you unholy child."

Ivan bowed a little before rushing out of the church.

He reaches the door to their room and found Yao standing outside the door again. Wang Yao looks drunk, eyes unfocused and pinkish cheeks, he held out something to Ivan. "For you." He slurred. "What's this?" Ivan asked, taking it. "A scarf." Yao said, then he drop down onto the floor and fell asleep. "Yao. Yao. Don't fall asleep here, you'll catch a cold." Ivan hurriedly said, squatting down and pulling him up. Then he carried him into the room and prepared him for bed. Everything is over, and Ivan held the scarf in front of him and look at Yao, a strange sense of weird feelings flutter inside his heart, rub the soft fabric against his cheek, smelling it, it smelt of alcohol and Yao's perfume. It was an ugly colour, soft sky pink, a contrasting colour to the ones he usually wear.

Ivan open the bottle of holy water and sipped on it. It burns like the usual, and an ugly hole appears at his throat again, but Ivan wrapped the equally ugly scarf around his neck. Then he slipped into bed with Yao again, no water bag, but a warm scarf tonight.

* * *

"Can I follow you today?" Ivan ask, voice squeaky and high. Yao gave him a weird look, "Why is your voice so weird today?" but he noticed the scarf Ivan wore and he laugh. "Oh my god, I thought that colour was black, why is it in pink? I must be drunk out of my mind to buy that pink one. I'll buy you a new one later."

"No. This is good enough." Ivan retorted. "Can I go with you today? Please? I'm bored."

"Eh.." Yao let out, hesitating. "We.. I'm rehearsing with Alfred and his band though. There's nothing much to do there anyway."

"I can just look. I won't cause any trouble."

"Well… If you insist. Let's go" Yao said.

They walk out through the streets, it's still early in the morning but streets and market is already starting to fill up with people. The scarf definitely help hide his neck and the lower half of his face from the occasional sunlight burning his face as he moves. They soon reach a huge fancy building, and went in, a huge auditorium where an equally impressive stage stood. On the stage, Alfred and three other man stood there each fiddling with their own instruments. Then Alfred pull the mic stand sideways and pose, turning to face towards Yao and Ivan, he lifted up his hands and pointed one two three, and then the drums and guitars as though on cue, starts its beat and rhythm. Alfred let out a yelp and started singing, jumping up and moving around the stage. A grand piano stood in the background contrasting the rock band shredding guitars and screaming in front.

Suddenly, Alfred shouted stop and threw a hissy fit. "Why can't you get it right Michael! It's been so damn long, and we have been playing for so many live and still you suck at guitar this damn bad. Do I have to remind you that every single day? YAO!" he shouted across the auditorium to him. "Come and take over Michael please."

Yao turn to Ivan and gesture him to sit at one of the seats before making his way to the stage, Alfred held his hands out to him, and pulled Yao up the stage. Michael handed his guitar to Yao and disappear backstage. Yao sling the guitar across his shoulders like he have done it a thousand times before, he strum a little, and tune a little and once Alfred sees that he is done, he strike his pose again and pointed one two three. They continued playing and playing continuously for the whole morning, and one by one Alfred's band member soak in sweat called to be drop out, until at the end it's only Yao and Alfred, still strumming, still shaking and still singing.

"Yao. I'm gonna go get some food, ya want some?" Alfred ask, gulping down a bottle of water. "Just get me noodles." Yao replied, still looking down his guitar picking at it. "Stop eating noodles, I'll get you a hamburger, you need more proteins to grow taller." Yao look up from his guitar and at the Alfred moving down the stage, he threw the guitar pick in his hand over and it hit Alfred in the head. Then he pick out a new one out of the pocket of his jacket and continued playing. The stage is clear of the other people except for Yao, Ivan finally found it appropriate to climb up the stage and sat at the piano chair, staring at Yao and occasionally sipping on the bottle of holy water.

Then Yao stop and just fall and lie down on the stage floor. A moment of silence, and Ivan felt bored, so he started fiddling with the piano keys, then he recalled a work called "Fires of a Revolution." It's a music piece about chaos and hope, about the struggles between peace and ideals, the pace of the music is extremely fast and intense, it boils your blood, it's a work that makes you want to take up arms and fight a war. And Ivan had a sudden feel for it, he started playing, his long slender fingers move at such speed, and Ivan felt a connection to this work. It's not his fault that vampires are abandoned by God, where the only light illuminating their world is the dim misty moon, and it was only under this meagre light can they endlessly procreate the next generation of vampires without any love. As though fate do love playing cruel tricks, they are born with this innate bloodlust, awakened by ingesting human blood, they do not have the purity of an angel, nor do they possess the resolve a demon have, they can only live life like an ignorant human greedily and stupidly, cursed to seek body warmth and blood, cursed to seek companionship forever. It's a war, a war against the long, endless dream called life that they can never escape.

The last note of the music echo through the walls with intensity and it's immediately followed by clapping. "That was amazing, 'Fires of Revolution 'isn't it, and not a single note missing nor played wrongly, how did you learn to play like that?" Yao asked, his eyes brightening with interest and curiosity. Ivan turn to look at him, and smile, it's been some time since he received any form of compliments. "I.. I used to play classical music because I was bored. And then I started playing more because… I was.. bored" Ivan answered.

"Hmm.. Seems like everything a vampire do is because he or she is bored." Yao theorize, touching his chin in wonder. Then his eyes brighten again, and he asked: "Are there any more musical instruments you know other than the piano?" Ivan shook his head. Yao lie back down onto the floor staring at the lights hanging on the stage, he said: "Play me another, slower ones."

Ivan turn back to the piano and his fingers did the magic again. The grand piano emits off music far more beautiful than an upright piano and the vast walls around reverberate the notes, amplifying its beauty. The slow notes pieces itself together, each one of them tugging at the heart's string, invoking the feeling of the title of this piece: Last goodbye. Goodbyes are something everyone have been through, and both Yao and Ivan are remembering the ones that are never said twice. A stray tear fell from Yao's eye, and it was only upon touching the end of his eye did he realise. He look over to Ivan and notice that his down casted eyes held indiscernible emotions. "Hey Ivan, what does it feel like when you said goodbye to your father and mother?" Yao asked.

Ivan stopped his fingers. After a while he said: "I just recalled being very sad. And I remember that I cried for a few days. But…." He hesitated then continue: "I don't seem to recall their faces anymore. In fact, I don't remember a lot of people's faces anymore."

Yao sigh and then he said to no one in particular: "I wonder if my brother still remember my face though." Then he sat upright again, and a renewed smile resurface across his face: "But Ivan, you are really good with the piano. Play for me again."

Ivan nodded. "I'll play it anytime you want. Provided.. there's a piano around."

Their gaze held each other's for a split blissful second. As though they understand each other, as though they knew each other for a very long time despite only meeting for a few days. "I'm glad to have meet you." Yao said. "Or should I say, I'm glad to have revived you." Yao look at the scar across his palm and held it out for Ivan to see.

A loud bang tore across the room, Alfred kick the auditorium door open and held bags after bags of thick, greasy smelling food, and walk in happily up the stage. "Your saviour is here! Pick whatever you want, Michael and the rest of them are still eating at the restaurant. Not like I need those low stamina losers anyway. Eat up! And we can rehearse again!" Alfred place all the bags on the floor and started munching on the fries, he gestures Yao to come over and then he gesture Ivan to come over. "Come on, come on don't be shy. I can always ask Michael to get more if there's not enough."

"He's a vampire, he can't eat human food." Yao commented, sipping on the cola and putting a fry in his mouth.

"Who said vampires can't eat?" Alfred look at Yao in shock. "I'm an angel and even I eat human food. Vampires? They are once humans, and they can perfectly digest human food. I mean they just won't die from hunger, but that doesn't mean they can't feel hunger." He shrugged, stuffing a chicken nugget into his mouth.

Yao slowed down his chewing and his eyes widened. His assumption that vampires don't eat meant that he denied Ivan of how many meals, slowly he look over to Ivan. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, you didn't know."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I mean it was not very necessary for me to eat."

"Bullshit." Alfred cut in. "Food is the only good about this world."

"You're an angel, are you sure you're supposed to say something that blasphemous?" Yao pointed at him with a fry. "Oh wait, I have forgotten that you're a rogue angel."

"Hey! What rogue angel, I did do my job as an angel okay. I just have a passion for rock and roll." Alfred retorted.

"Whatever. Rogue angel." Yao taunted. Then he turn to Ivan and said: "Come on join us, here." He held a fry up and want Ivan to come over and bite on it.

But Alfred saw it and went over to bite it off his fingers. "Thanks Yao. You can continue feeding me, both my hands are full with burger and drink."

"Shut up, oh my god, why you're so greedy." Yao scolded. "You go away. Ivan, quick come over, else this fat angel is going to finish them all."

"God is listening. Stop calling me fat."

Ivan came over and sat beside Yao. Then Yao began stuffing lots and lots of fries into his mouth in direct competition to Alfred. They ate and they talked, and although Ivan didn't join in their conversation much, he was a little glad to be part of this world, a little more glad to be sitting beside Yao, eating and talking. They played songs together, and then after the meal Alfred and Yao rehearse a bit more while Ivan look. If Yao could live forever too, maybe living like this forever might not sound all that bad. Ivan smile as he look at the stage light shining onto the two figures on stage. Then he felt the hole in his throat closes in again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dead man's Blues C3**

**A/N: Hi Ilich! thank you so much for your review, I am so glad you enjoyed it TT.**

**As usual, not proof read, do let me know if there are any glaring mistakes that alters certain meanings. Thank you. **

* * *

The night breeze blow, gently caressing against their skin. Ivan and Yao walk side by side back to their inn, perhaps because Ivan was here, or for whatever reason, much to the surprise to Yao, Alfred did not ask them out to drink tonight. Yao scan through the closing stalls, and spotted the one that sold the scarfs, Ivan held his arms just as he saw Yao is moving over.

"I really love this one that you brought for me." Ivan reassured.

"But… It looks so ugly.." Yao whine, but followed after Ivan anyway.

"It's good enough. I'll wear continue wearing it." He said, sipping on the bottle of water again.

Yao knit his brow, observing Ivan's face contorted in pain as he drank the water, he ask: "What's that?"

Ivan swallowed and look at him, then back at the bottle. "Just some plain water."

"Okay." Yao replied, face reflecting his indiscernible thoughts.

"I finally know why I don't really like Alfred when I first saw him. Must be the fact that he's an angel, and I'm a vampire. Unholy creature always clashes with holy ones." Ivan commented.

"You're wrong. Alfred is obnoxious, angel or not." Yao replied.

"How did you meet him?"

"At the bar." Yao replied, then he continued: "I didn't know he was an angel, I just thought he's a human that play really good rock and roll. He could captivate the crowd, and he captivated me on that stage that day. I don't know how he did it though, angels are not supposed to be like that, they can't feel things, they are not supposed to have emotions, yet Alfred is annoying, he gets angry and happy and when he sings those sad songs, it touches people's heart. So how could he be an angel?"

"Is he lying then?" Ivan asked.

"I'll show you tomorrow, that he is really an angel." Yao replied and then he laugh.

The next morning, Yao drag Ivan out even before the sun began to rise, and together they rush to a majestic looking mansion. Wang Yao was let into the mansion by a butler and he pulled Ivan up into the house, up the stairs and straight towards a door, then he slow down and gestured a hush to Ivan, then almost on a tip toe, he slowly push a door open to a slit, peeking in, Ivan can see a room with high ceiling, surrounding the room are stained glass for windows and Alfred, dressed in a white loose robe, is standing in the middle of the room with his back facing them . A bright, almost eye piercing light from above shine down softly on him, Alfred is looking up, praying with his hands raised, elbows at his side. With a deep breath, he mumble something, and a grotesque sound of tearing sound is heard, in a flash two pairs of huge, pure white feathery wings dotted with flashes of red flap outwards, closing in and out before settling in an outstretch position. Alfred mumbled something again, and with his head bowed down, bumps started growing out in random position across his wings and body, it stretch out into a slit and split open into multiple eyes, blinking at random times. Ivan let out a tiny gasp, for all that he have ever seen, this is the first. And suddenly, all those irises in those eyes at the back stared at him and then at Yao. The eyes blink hard, then those irises twitch to the side of the eye again and again, as though telling them to go away. Yao spit out his tongue mischievously, still not moving. Alfred mumble something more, back and forth, for a few more minutes. Then slowly, the light faded away, and together with it, the wings with eyes disappear too. Alfred with his hands still up, turn around and look at Yao and Ivan.

"That was unnecessary." Alfred said, his face without any hint of emotions. Ivan was expecting him to be pissed off, but Alfred turns out pretty … indifferent. Then Alfred blink a few times, and suddenly it seems as though he got snapped back to reality, a look of annoyance surface on his face and he look at Yao and complain: "I told you not to come into this room at this timing! I'm praying. Besides, didn't you say that the eyes on my wings are gross."

"Well, Alfred those eyes on your body are gross too. And Ivan here don't believe a fat and annoying person like you is an angel. I'm just trying to show him." Yao explains, then he move his fingers and touch a still opened eyes blinking at them on Alfred's arms. "Hey, stop bullying me." Alfred said, moving his hands to cover his eyes.

Yao giggled cheekily, then he pat Alfred on his arms again and said: "I'll get my breakfast, see you at the auditorium later."

"Yeah, yeah, get out of my sight." Alfred waved Yao out of his sight, and then a door slightly opposite of the room Alfred comes out off opens, a half-naked woman yawning and walk pass them. Yao look at her go, and then turn back to Alfred, pointing a finger at him he said: "You're a blasphemous angel."

"Go away. The sun is rising, your friend here is going to get fried if he goes out any later." Alfred continued, yawning and walks back to his room.

Yao rolled his eyes, and he walks out of Alfred's mansion. Then he turn to Ivan and said: "So? Your thoughts after seeing that magical scene?". Ivan look back at him and shrugged, "I still find it hard to believe he is one. But I do stand by my beliefs my distaste came from him being an angel. Unholy creatures just don't mingle with the holy ones." Yao laugh so hard he slap his thigh, then he stopped and said: "You're wrong Ivan. It's just Alfred, it's really just Alfred. He is distasteful. But that's okay, I still find it hard to believe till now. That being said, those lights shining on him are really beautiful, don't you think?"

"Yeah." Ivan nodded, feeling a little jealous, and a little indignant.

A few days passed by in a blink of an eye, and just when it felt as though life can go on like this forever. The day of the concert arrive, Ivan was allowed backstage and he could see Yao in the middle of the stage with Alfred. For a concert filled with rowdy loud and excitable audience, Yao decided to wear an elegantly long sleeve with a neat bow tie, it makes him look so out of place that he became the only thing standing out. Yet the way he plays his guitar is a little less than decent. Alfred's charisma bring his audience to an immediately high. The smoke slowly seeps into the stage, sweat soaks their body as the concert reached its peak, it smudge their eyeliner, making their sideway glance look a little more mysterious, the heat clump their hairs and it sticks like tendrils against their foreheads and neck, looking a little more seductive between their heavy breaths. Just when the song reached its instrumental part, Alfred took off his unbuttoned coat and threw it into the crowd. The crowd singing along roar and jump into the vicinity of the coat in delight.

"This dude is looking out of place eh?" Alfred shout into the microphone towards the crowd. Yao seems to ignore him and continued playing the guitar, fingers flew up and down fast, occasionally he holds the string hard, vibrating the sound emitting from the system, stomping and head banging along with the beat of the drums and the rhythm of the guitar. The chanting crowd roar out in agreement. "Then, it's time to make him look like he is actually part of my band." Alfred scream and walk towards Yao, standing behind him, he tore Yao's button shirt to shreds, and left it hanging in soaking pieces on his body. Wang Yao look at Alfred with eyes that could kill, but still his fingers never left the guitar. The crowd roared once more, with whistling and cheering amongst them, and even screaming from females down the stage.

"That's more like it." Alfred smirk, wiping his bottom lips with his thumb.

Ivan's heart skipped a beat observing the scene, out of that unspeakable annoyance at Alfred's action and also at Yao's half shredded shirt, his long pants hung low on his hip and tight on his thigh, a mixture of shame and guilt rise up, contorting his whole face into an ugly colour. He felt his heart beating increasingly fast and stray thoughts invaded his brain, he quickly gulp down a few big mouths of his water. Eyes closing shut from the burn, it was noticed by the band member left behind at the backstage by Alfred. "Are you okay?" Michael asked. Ivan look back at him and quickly nodded.

Then Michael went back to his book nonchalantly.

It have been bugging Ivan's mind for some time, the way Alfred have been screaming at him all the time because of his guitar skill is almost abusive. Yet every single time, Michael look as though nothing gets to him. Perhaps out of jealousy that he felt a nagging feeling that he is the outsider between Alfred and Yao, he wanted to stir some dirt between Alfred and his band mates. "Aren't you angry the least bit the way Alfred's been scolding you?"

Michael look back up from his book unblinkingly, "No." he answered. "I am not as good as Yao. I will only be proficient in the harp." Ivan knit his brows and wondered silently to himself what a weird person Michael is, then he ask again: "Don't you hate him the least bit?" Michael, interrupted from reading his book for the third time, look back up to him as patient as ever, "Why should I? Alfred is right to replace me. I am glad he found a person that can play much better than I ever will before the concert."

"How could not be angry?" Ivan frowned, mumbling to himself.

But Michael heard him, and he replied: "Perhaps the fact that I am an angel is reason. I do not feel anger, nor in fact any emotions. Our existence is pure so that our dedication can be true."

Ivan pondered upon Michael's words for a little, and then look out to the Alfred jumping and moving around the stage. Alfred definitely doesn't look like he is lacking any emotions, and he definitely isn't pure. Then he let out a snort and commented: "I guess Alfred is not as pure as an angel should be then."

Michael did not look up from his book this time, but he affirmatively replied: "Alfred is as pure as any of us."

Ivan decided not to argue with him any longer.

The concert ended in a blast, with crowd screaming encore and encore and the band kept indulging in their fans, until finally their drummers gave in from exhaustions that it finally ended for real. Yao walks to the backstage and threw his guitar on the floor, and he plop down onto the sofa before shouting: "Fucking crazy bastard." Alfred hops in cheerily beside him asking: "Who are you calling that?"

Yao look up to him, eyes twitching from his blatant oblivion, "You, of course."

"Oh, come on, Yao. Everything ended up in a blast! The crowd loves it. It's a great show tonight. Great job everybody! Especially you for lasting as long as me." Alfred congratulate everyone in the room. "Let's drink tonight! My treat." Everyone in the backstage cheer, then Alfred instructed a girl dressed in small and tight latex pieces that covers up half her breast and butt, while the rest of the exposed skin are covered in black fishnet to bring in towels. As Alfred took over the towels, he began wiping the sweat off Yao's hair, neck, face and before he reaches down to wipe his body, Yao snatch the towel away from him, "Stop it." He said, annoyed, throwing the towel on floor. "Stop throwing tantrum, you will catch a cold like you did the other time. Or you prefer Michelle here to help you?" Alfred purr, hands sliding pass the waist of the girl.

"No." Yao snapped, wiping himself. "I'm going back."

"Aw, come on. I'm the MVP tonight, but you are the one almost there with me."

"Fine. I'll see you at the bar." Yao replied. "I'm just going back to change out my SHREDDED clothes first." He continued, emphasizing on the shredded to show his annoyance at Alfred.

"See you." Alfred said, and with his hands still on the girl's waist, he walks out of the backstage with the other members. The room suddenly became much quieter without all the mumblings and Alfred's loud voice.

Yao tilt his head towards the curtains leading out, and suddenly he jumped up and grabbing the Ivan musing at the side of the room, he walks out of the backstage from another more unconventional way. It leads out of the whole venue of the stage immediately, and with quick haste, Yao walks back to the inn. Ivan quietly followed him.

Back at the inn, Yao tore off the remaining clothes left on his body and started packing things into his bag. Ivan stood there like a lost child, wondering what is going on. "Start packing quick, we have to get away from Crossroad before Alfred realise it." Yao urged, then he let out a sneeze and rub his nose.

"But I thought…" Ivan started, but Yao lift up his hands, halting him. "I have to go to Azmar, because somebody refuses to bring me to back to his place. Anyway, I am really serious about Alfred, he will lock us up for the sole purpose of making me stay in his band permanently. That's how he got his drummer and bassist. We need to run Ivan. Quick, quick!"

They moved out of the inn shortly, they visited the bank and sure enough, Yao managed to withdraw quite a large amount of gold from it, Alfred is incredibly efficient, Yao have to give it to him for that. "We can walk over the night to the next town. Stock up and move on, one week have taken a toll on the schedule."

"Since when do we have a schedule to follow." Ivan asked.

"Since you decided not to bring me to back to your place." Yao pouted, then he let out another sneeze. "Let's go." He continued, grabbing Ivan's wrist and dragging him along before he can protest any longer. The night is cloudy and cold, hiding the moon lights behind the clouds, it's a perfect time to silently disappear again. The streets of crossroads is still crowded, but Ivan and Yao took the route of the back alleys, away from the bright lights and noises. The back alley is filled with shady creatures lurking, creatures that doesn't want gold, but something more.

Ivan's eyes turns sharp as he glance from side to side, and those creatures know better than to challenge them, but they kept hovering around looking for a chance. Ivan put his hands around Yao's shoulder and pull him closer, canine teeth coming out, cutting his lips. He's not afraid of other vampires, nor is he afraid of demons, he could simply pour his holy water on them, but humans are a problem.

"I see two strangers hanging out in the wrong side of town." A voice called out. Turning around, they found themselves face to face with a man, a boy Ivan would even say, a youthful looking face with a serious expression, short black hair with fringe that covers his forehead. The fire in the lamp flickers, illuminating and hiding the body dressed in a plain kimono. "But perhaps not so much of a stranger, if you do remember me." the boy said, tilting his head looking at Yao. The edge of his eyes are smeared with red, leaving an enigmatic glance in its wake.

'Sorry, but I don't think we have met before." Yao replied. "But kindly pardon us, for we are in a rush." He turn around and pull Ivan away with him hastily.

The blood red lips let out a small smile, and with a swing of his sleeve, he turn around and walk.

Suddenly, everything in the alley became quiet. No more presence nor shuffling of feet could be heard in dark. No more hungry stares or low growls and whisperings anymore. Ivan look back to the dark, he remember who that strange man is with memories not of his own. The two companions walks through the alley and together they walk until the road opens into the woods, under the silent moonlight, the woods chirps loudly with bugs that only come out at night. It was not long before Ivan noticed that Yao is not keeping up, and he kept sneezing. Without another word, Ivan took off his coat and wrap it around Yao. As though the warmth from the coat finally broke Yao's determination to keep going, he let out: "I .. I need some rest. If you don't mind waiting, just let me lie down under the tree over there a little."

Ivan tilted his head a little in confusion. Then he said: "Pass me the map. I'll carry you on my back, so you can rest, you had a long day, but I didn't." and before Yao even have a chance to protest, Ivan already squatted down with his back facing him. "Come on, we have a schedule to keep, and it's my fault so let me make it up to you." Yao hesitated for a moment, but the idea of it seems too good to pass and he snuggled up onto Ivan's back. Ivan's back felt really cold, but like a cold bed, it was soon heated up by his own body warmth, Yao took a breath lying his head on Ivan's broad shoulder. "This is nice." He commented, before drifting off.

Ivan look back and let out a smile.

Yao woke up and found himself in a room, on a bed and under a blanket, but looking out to the window on his right, the sky is dusty with stars. He took a few blinks, but still, he can't seem to blink the sleepiness away, and he soon drifted off to sleep again. His feet rubs against the soft and smooth fabric, but then felt a little empty, someone is missing, he open up his eyes again and search the room. No one. Just then, as though sensing that he is awake, Ivan pops his head in and smile. "You're awake." He said, "I brought in some food for you." He continued as he place down bags filled with fruits, ham and bread on the table. "There's no noodles here. So, I guess you have to make do with these."

Wang Yao rubbed his eyes, he felt blissful. Blissful to be taken care of. Then he crawl out of bed and sat on the chair rummaging through the bags beside Ivan, something caught his eye all of a sudden, he took out something wrapped up in a small cotton bag, Yao break out into a big smile. He quickly unwrapped it, a strange expression flash past his face, then he look back at Ivan and asked: "This is my favourite candy. Where did you get it from?"

Ivan look back at him, trying hard to keep a straight face. "Oh, just nearby while I was buying the ham." Yao look back at the bag and gingerly took out a piece, a blood red crystal-clear piece, and put it into his mouth. "This place actually sells a bag of fruit drop with only the red ones. Is this heaven?" Yao commented, face filled with happiness from the candy in his mouth, and with the knowledge that there's more in the bag.

Ivan smile. "I'm glad you like it."

* * *

A man sits on a futon the middle of the room. The translucent paper held over the wooden sliding door rustle against the night breeze outside, it overlook a well-trimmed garden. Ancient looking scrolls and books piled up at the four corners of the room. The smells of incense and blown out candles fills the moonlit space, He is staring at a human sculpture on a table in front of him like he have done so many times, sometimes gazing longingly, sometimes with a mix of confusion and desperation, other times, just blankly. He would stand up occasionally and refine that sculpture, a little less muscle here, a little more over there. Then he would close his eyes and glide his fingers over the body of the sculpture, gaining a little thrill in his heart as he do so.

He went back to his futon. Mouth slightly agape, he lick his dry lips and swallow. Sliding his hands down on himself, he would stroke and pant as he eagerly bore his eyes on the face of the sculpture. The man's short black hair sticks onto his face as sweat begins to dot on his forehead from the exertion, his kimono splay apart revealing his lower naked body, unashamed. The intensity of his stroke culminated into whites splattering all over his smooth, pale thigh and onto the wooden panel flooring. The man's panting slows down, and in place of the euphoria from his indecent actions are tidal waves of violent anger washing down to his very core.

A small growl slip through his lips as he wipe the edge of his lips across his cheeks with the back of his hands, extending the grin. He thought bitterly on how he was okay just looking from afar in the past, and he intends to continue looking out for him from afar. But things have changed, or more specifically, a new obstacle have appeared that will take away something that he is clinging onto.

"Guess it's time to bring you back by my side." He whispers, stroking the face of the sculpture, the white residue left on his finger left its trail onto the face, staining it.

The sculpture was sculpted in clay, even with its eyes closed, the sway of its long hair and the grace in its poise makes it feels as though it's alive, just stuck in time. The man grab a short knife from the side of the table, and on the hand stained with white, he drag a deep slash across his hand, then he closed his fingers, letting the gushing blood pooled in his palm. The blood swirls in the white, the strong smell of the mixture hang thickly in the air, stringing his nose. With his free hand, the man took out a folded, white handkerchief and took out a single strand of hair and a piece of paper with letters and numbers on it, he mumbled a little something that the hair and the paper burst up into purple flames, then he threw it into the pooled blood on his palm, and together, he pour the substances down on the sculpture, drenching it from head to the toe.

The sculpture grew in size the moment the blood is absorb into the clay, where the blood touches the sculpture, it turns lighter and lighter and slowly the rest of the sculpture follow suit, the hair suspended in the air softens and falls, the limbs poised gracefully fell down limply well. Its not long the soft naked body fell down from where it stands, the man waste no time reaching out to stop the fall, he carried it bridal style and fell to his knee, staring at this familiar face. A soft smile tug on his face, and he uses the hands to brush its hair aside gingerly, reaching down, he gave a kiss on its forehead.

"You'll wake up to me soon. I'll be here for you when you open up your eyes. Wang Yao."

* * *

The sky is bright and clear, sparsely spaced green trees at their side rustle against the wind, while the sun beats down lightly, it almost feels like a beautifully gentle day already. Wang Yao beamed happily at the sight of the flowers that bloom where trees do not, feet crunching against the gravel of the road. His footstep is followed by another taller, and darker figure. Ivan is dressed in a huge black hooded cloak, almost like a shadow just looming by Yao's side, almost like he is out of place in this picturesque scenery.

"I wish I could feel the sun too." Ivan commented poignantly. The sun that shines down on Yao reflects its light, giving Yao a soft warm glow, it looks so beautiful Ivan wanted to be part of it too.

"Hmm.." Yao turn back and look at him. Then as he walk backwards, he cast his eyes down, seemingly thinking, then he look back up at Ivan again and smile: "Then aren't you glad that I allowed you to follow me. I think not a lot of people knows this, but do you know that the blues played by a soul can heal anything, absolutely anything. And if what you said about vampires are true, then perhaps the blues can change you back into a human too."

Ivan smile.

"You smile like you don't believe me." Yao retorted with a look. "But let me tell you, it's really true." He continued, turning back to the front. Ivan look at his back, unable to see his expression.

"I do." Ivan answered. "I believe everything you said."

"What if I really lie to you?"

"I would know."

Yao turn back to Ivan, knitting his brow. "I didn't know vampires can read people's mind."

Ivan shake his head and replied: "No we can't. Unless we are learned in the ways of seers nor mages."

Yao turn back to give him a look, then turn back and puff up his cheek, for he can't determine if Ivan is mocking him or not. It's a little while before Yao started speaking again, maybe it was because of the times they spend together insulting Alfred, or maybe it was because he was alone for far too long to notice that he was lonely. "I almost died once. I was really young, and I was living alone. One day, when I was walking back home from my class, I didn't realise that I was followed. That person knew I was living alone, but luckily for me, my grandmother visited me. She was a singer, and she was known for singing the blues, and she was touring from bars to bars and happen to be nearby where I lived. That person who followed me home killed my grandmother and me. Stab us both again and again, he did unspeakable things to us and then left, we both lie down there in our own puddle of blood just staring at each other for comfort, my grandma was the first to stop breathing. Her soul flew out and swirl around me for the longest time, not knowing what to do. I guess when you die, you want to experience the things you enjoy the most, when she look in my eyes, she knows. So, she started singing the tunes I heard her singing since I was born. And it was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I close my eyes, thinking that even if I died there and then. It would be okay. But I didn't, I woke up in congealed blood sticking me to the ground. I survived. Since then, I searched far and wide for this phenomenal. I recalled my grandfather and grandmother would often ask each other 'Could the soul of the man play the right kind of blues?' and realise it was a common question among people who play the blues."

Ivan closed the gap between Yao and him, he wrap his arms around Yao's shoulders and held it tight.

Yao continued: "I'm okay now. I just.. feel like saying it, since you already told me your story, it's only fair."

"Thank you. All that you have shared. I did not know." Ivan commented, letting his arms go.

"Anyway, what happened in the end was, I managed to gain access to this elusive 'mage only' library that supposedly contains all the secrets of this world. But apparently not all the secrets, if what you have told me about the origins of vampires are true. But I did find the legends of music in a book over there, it tells of the various magical properties of music when played under certain conditions. Simply put, the blues heals you of anything, rock and roll shall lift all the regrets in your heart, classical shall open your eyes to things you never seen before, so on and so forth."

"That sounds gre-."

*BANG* A loud shot is heard from a distance woods, and Ivan let out a grunt and fall to the ground. Massive amount of blue blood gushes out from the sizzling wound on Ivan's shoulder, Ivan knit his brow and tear the bullet dislodge in between the messy flesh. The bullet sizzles against flesh Ivan tore out of his wound. "Bullets made from melted down silver crosses blessed by the church." Ivan growl, scrutinizing the bullet. "There's a vampire hunter nearby."

"What..Then-…" Yao stuttered, he have seen some vampire hunters here and there once in a while, but he didn't have a vampire with him then to be afraid of them.

Ivan look back at the dense woods in the distance where the shots came from, then he turn back to Yao and quickly said: "No time to lose. I'll carry you, come."

"You can go on ahead first.. I won't.."

"They will kill you if they find out that you're associating with a vampire. Come onto my back." Ivan growl, Wang Yao never seen Ivan so agitated throughout the times he spent with him before, and quietly followed his words. He climb on top of Ivan's back. "Hold on tight, I need to run." Yao tightened his grip around Ivan's shoulders, arms pressing and rubbing against the open wound, it squishing sound make Yao cringe, and Yao could smell the raw smell of blood, Ivan's blood is blue, but instead of smelling like iron, it smelt like copper. Ivan ran with speed and jump with great strength and landed with such ease, yet the wounds does not seem to heal as easily as large amount of blood still splattered along the floor in large chunk. The blueish blood sizzles into mist against the sun.

It's not that long before they reached the next town, and after managing to get a place to stay, Ivan fell onto the ground, cold sweat soak his body. "Are you really okay?" Yao fell onto the knee beside Ivan, looking at his face. "You said vampires don't die. Are you dying after getting shot by some silver bullets?"

"Yeah we don't. Just.. makes us hard to regenerate, it will take us way longer to regenerate and it really hurts." Ivan explained, closing his eyes in pant and he held down the wounds and rolled to his side. "Just.. just 1 hour, I'll be okay enough to bring us out. The vampire hunters will catch up to us soon."

Ivan shivers, and Yao don't know if its from the cold or from the wounds. He reach out for the door, but Ivan mumbled weakly: "Please stay."

Wang Yao look back. He had wanted to get a hot water bag for him but….

He decided against it, he walk back to Ivan's side and lie down beside him, hugging his cold body. Maybe the boredom eventually lull him to sleep, or maybe the smell of Ivan's blood knocks him out, either way, Wang Yao fell asleep even though it was in the middle of the day. He stirs when he heard commotions and realise that Ivan is no longer by his side. Wang Yao is on the bed and turn his head towards the door when it was kick out, two figures dressed in a cravat and long black suit walks in, their leather boots click loudly against the wooden flooring of the room, they scan the room around under their fedora hat with a ridiculously wide and floppy brim.

"Who are you guys? How can you just barge into another person's room like this?" Yao pulled his blanket up and ask the two men. The first one look at Wang Yao and said: "You look like one a vampire would eat. Tell me, where did you hide the unholy creature?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Wang Yao replied.

"Don't lie. I can smell one in here. And he smells different from the one we are hunting." The second figure speaks, taking a deep breath of the air in the room. "Do you reckon…?"

"Must be it." The first one said. "Mister here seems to want to protect that vampire. What do we do to people like you?"

"What are you guys talking about?" Yao said amidst their little chat.

"Kill him of course." The second one said, grinning maniacally from ear to ear. He draws out a heavy gun gleaming in its silvery glory and pointed it at Wang Yao. "Come out come out, wherever you are, little kitty."

Wang Yao breaks out in sweat, but he was much more angry than scared. How could his life and death be dictated by two men who just randomly barge into his room like that? He stood up and shouted: "And now you're threatening me like that? Do you take me for a fool? I said there are no vampires here, and you can't just barge in this room, into my room claiming there is one." He walks up to the figure and place the gun into between his eye and said: "Kill me now, and I will curse you and your association forever."

"Now now, there's no need for such reaction." The first man reassured, pushing the second's arms down. "We are just worried for the safety of this town's citizens. There have been vampires lurking around towns these days. The plague in Newfalls was the work of a vampire, the vampire fed its own blood to the citizens of Newfalls and now everyone became ghouls doing his biddings. We are just people preventing tragedy like that from happening again."

Wang Yao's emotion wavered, and it's shown on his face. The first man use this chance to ask again: "Now kind sir, if you are indeed hiding a vampire, do let us know. There are no kind end for people who associate themselves with vampires."

"No.." Yao replied. "There are no vampires here."

The second figure's face change, and he shouted at the first: "Stop wasting your time dissuading this fellow! Let me kill him, let me eat him, maybe the vampire will come out again." Eyes looking at the first expectantly, looking for an answer.

The first man's face stop looking as though he is caring about Yao, and he said in a callous manner: "Go ahead. Humans who associate themselves with vampires are a disgrace to mankind."

Before the first man even finishes his words, the second of already pounce himself onto Wang Yao. They struggle with each other on the floor. Even though Wang Yao may not look like it, but he was an expert in hand to hand combat, and he easily overcome the second figure that was much taller and bigger than him. His elbow strike the man's face, and his punches landed on vital spots aim to immobilize his opponents.

"You're useless." The first man said angrily and aim his heavy gun onto Yao.

From the back, came two pair of hands from a man way bigger than him. The first man was shocked and quickly turned around, but before he is able to do so, Ivan broke both his arms into an unnatural position, the man screamed in pain. The second man turned around and saw the commotion and was scared almost into a submission, in his desperation, he whip out a small bottle of blueish substance and drank it down.

"Don't…" the first man grunted out in horror.

The second man's skin bubbled with muscles, and veins bulge out. His face contorted in pain, and his eyes bulge out of his eye socket, he let out a low growl and look down on Wang Yao with eyes that are no longer human. His skin faded into blueish grey, and with his fingers, he reached down and wrapped them among Yao's neck. This time was different, he became strong, inhuman. Wang Yao claw desperately at the tightening grip cutting off his air and kick at that man, but it's useless. The grip did not loosen at all, instead the man smile, in a satisfying grin as he look at Yao on the verge of losing consciousness.

"Oh, I have almost forgotten." The second man, or rather, now a creature, look back at Ivan. "One step closer and your little friend here will meet his maker." With that, he loosen enough to let Yao breath.

"What do you want?" Ivan growl lowly, black sclera glows with blood red pupils.

"That's simple. Our organisation needs you. We need your blood, treat it as doing something good for the mess your race have caused us." The man said.

"You want to harvest my blood to kill vampires for good. That's what you're saying." Ivan let out an incredulous snort.

"Quite a smart boy we have here huh. So, what do you say? Follow my partner back and get yourself harvested, or let's all die here." He continued, trailing a long, sharp and broken fingernails against Yao's arms, drawing a thin trail of blood along the way.

"R-Run.. They can't kill me, i-its against the treaty." Yao choked out; limbs too weak to lift anymore.

"Ohhh, we can, WE definitely can. Want to take this chance? "

"Stop." Ivan blurted out. "I'll go. Just let him go."

"To prove your sincerity, take the silver handcuffs from my partner and the teleportation ball in his pockets and go into it yourself." The man said.

"How would I know you're not lying?" Ivan demanded.

"Do you look like you have a choice, boy?" the man said, head and limbs twitching, as though losing control of himself. "You have to hurry; my state of body doesn't leave you much time. I'll eat this delicious looking human soon. I bet his innards would taste the best."

Ivan grit his teeth. But he follow suit, he is sure he will be able to escape somehow anyway. He rummage through the first man's pocket, and accidentally touched the silver handcuffs before he saw it, twitching his hands out in pain, Ivan reached in again and held the silver handcuffs tight before pulling out. The sound of sizzling meat fills the air with smells of burnt flesh, Ivan bears the pain and clicked it onto his wrist himself. Then in his palm, a big round ball with swirling transmuting colours lies in it, as Ivan closes in to crush the ball, an audible crack split the air and an air of distortion floated out of Ivan's palm to form a circular warp space in front of him. In the midst of the contorted air, one can vaguely see that it leads them to another side, the other side is dark and commotions, screams can be heard.

"Go in." the once human creature demanded. "You go in to. I'll follow you all after."

"Goodbye, Yao. It was.. nice meeting you." Ivan said as he bade his farewell, might be his last, so he might as well say it properly.

"Hurry! Stop dilly dallying!" the creature voiced out, his words distorting into a demonic echo.

Ivan slip and disappear into the portal immediately, the first man with his crushed arms followed after. The creature let go of Wang Yao and he fell onto the floor, Yao stare after the portal, coughing and gasping for breath. But the scene before his eyes slowly darkened and darkened as he panic, the last scene he ever saw was the creature twitching violently, following them into the portal.

"Ivan…" Yao mumbled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Dead man's Blues C4**

**Hi Ilich and Guest! Thank you very much for your kind reviews, I am so glad you guys like it.**

* * *

A sharp intake of breath and Wang Yao's eyes shot wide open only to be greeted by darkness. He started breathing in short, shallow breath, there's a heaviness in his heart, as though his heart grew so large that it lodge itself in his chest cavity, unable to beat. The feeling of déjà vu grew thick like a layer of slime numbing his whole body, restricting his limbs, slowing his movement. He look around like he is looking for something he have misplaced, lost eyes wandering in the dark. 'Was that all just a bad dream?' he thought worriedly.

The darkness surrounding him confine him in his anxiety, he felt himself shaking, the tingling numbness gnaw at his skin. Cold sweat started forming over his forehead as he clutch his heart, hoping to make the pain in his chest a little more bearable. 'Now!?' he thought, shutting his eyes shut, he can feel his heart beating so rapidly, so hastily. 'You're okay, you're okay, you're okay.' Yao lick his dry, cracking lips, repeating the same few lines to comfort himself. He know what this is, it's just another one of his panic attacks, he just need to breath and focus on relaxing.

'This is not the same as grandma. Ivan will be okay; you will be okay.' He thought, it took him a while, but he finally managed to calm down enough to breath properly. His eyelids felt as though weights are attached to them, he felt drained of all energy, and his mind is foggy of all possible solutions and next course of actions he should take. He just felt like sleeping.

"This is tiring." He mumbled to himself in the dark, like he expected a voice will suddenly acknowledge his question.

Wang Yao push himself up to a sitting position. The pulsing pounding around his head tightens his grip and Yao held his head, "Ivan.. would need some help. I know those emblems carved on those silver guns. They are not just any vampire hunters. Crazy bastards."

"I need to- "Yao started, but was immediately cut off with a sharp, unbearable pain on his left upper arm. He held that part down, holding his breath, but his current weak constitution can no longer take the shock of the pain and after a brief struggle, he fell unconscious again.

The next moment he open his eyes again, dawn started breaking across the sky, letting what little light it can spare into the room. Wang Yao's breathing is still slightly laboured, but definitely much better than before the pain in his arm started acting up. The palm pressing down his arms felt a bump pressing against it, curious, Wang Yao pulled up his sleeve and scrutinize it. A yellow chrysanthemum flower shaped base with an extended piece of handle seemingly made out of wood is attached firmly on his skin that look like it will pull out a huge chunk of his flesh if he attempts to pull it, his brows knit together, wondering what this is. Nonetheless, Wang Yao decided to get rid of this thing.

Gingerly, he put his index finger and thumb over the handle and give it a tug, nothing happens. Then he tug it harder this time, and suddenly he felt something moves underneath his skin, alarming him. Undeterred, he continued pulling on the handle, a pain similar to picking at an unripe scab emanate itself around the flower on the skin. Something felt like it broke, and precise black lines in rectangular shape is seen the more Yao pull, a compartment made from his flesh and blood is pulled out like a drawer in a cupboard. Yao stare at it in horror.

He placed the meat compartment on his palm, and peer into it. "The hell is going on…?" he muttered in reaction to this bizarre situation. Surrounding the hardened but definitely pulsing red flesh lies a single piece of metallic trinket, slightly stained with blood. Wang Yao pick the trinket out and hastily push the compartment back into his arm, a few drops of blood trickle out of the lines where the compartment nicely fits, and before another blink, the lines disappear. Yao poke at the area where the compartment was in confirmation, the whole thing is indeed gone.

Turning his attention back to the trinket, a tiny mechanism at the side of the trinket bulge out, pressing it, the trinket pops open and reveal a tiny ashen portrait photo of lady dressed in an elaborate wedding kimono with a headdress. Her lips pursed, her eyebrows straight, making her face look firm and resolute. 'She doesn't look like a very happy bride.' Yao wondered. 'But who the hell are you?' Then he glance to the other side of the trinket's flap, a tiny line of words is carved that reads: "Glory and honour above all"

Yao look back to his arms, thoughts deepened. The line in the trinket unsettles him a little. His fingers closed to his palm, closing the pendant as well. Wang Yao decided that there's no time to waste on these seemingly trivial issues that can be investigated later, Ivan is in great danger because of him, but first, he would need to find a way to get to those vampire hunters headquarter. Its inaccessible to common folks as they have the backings of the Order of the Eternal Watch**,** an incredibly wealthy organisation made up of magically adept members, they draw their wealth from the rich and famous by offering services in areas of magic. They are governed by the council of five, or commonly known as The Five. Each one of them shrouded in mystery, their origins unknown, except for the fact that they are all individually accomplished and powerful among all living wizards of their time.

But Yao knows just the way to get there.

The first light of dawn grows, beating down warmly and illuminating the streets of this town. Vendors started putting out things for sale, butchers, grocers and seller of all sorts calls out for customers, breathing life to the streets just as the lights do. Wang Yao carried his bag and walk along the streets, looking around, eyes scanning in detail not for anything the vendors are selling. The walls along his way are filled with advertisements and bounties torn and repasted, but one particular paper glued hastily on the wall finally caught his eye.

Wang Yao's face let out a smile, he finally found what he is looking for.

He walks up to the paper, half dangling off the walls, and tore it down carefully from the wall. Eyes scans through the gibberish words, not understanding a single thing, they are encrypted by magic, the ones wield by the Order. They are not exactly hard decrypt though, Wang Yao let down his bag and rummaged through the layers of things and after some time pulled out a tiny silk sack. Dipping this first two fingers in, he touches the glittery powder and smear them on all over the paper. This powder is made up of the ground up scales of blue dragons of the north and he have somehow dupe Alfred into giving him the powder for some worthless stuff. The gibberish letters on the paper lifted itself up, running and jumping around to rearrange themselves on the paper, after a mere few blinks, the words all became readable.

'ARE YOU AN ASPIRING MAGE? DO YOU WANT TO SERVE THE ORDER? IF ARE ABLE TO READ THIS, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE: GO TO THE COURTYARD OF THIS TOWN AND CHECK OUT FOR ANY ASPIRING VAMPIRE OR WEREWOLF HUNTERS. (HINT: THERE WILL BE A MARK ON THEIR LEFT HAND, SHOULD BE OBVIOUS TO YOU IF YOU ARE REALLY THAT GOOD) THEN, GRAB YOUR FELLOW FRIEND AND TELEPORT TO THESE COORDINATES: -34.920705,138.605428 TO GUARUNTEE YOUR SPOT IN THIS YEAR'S BATCH.'

Wang Yao raises his eyebrow and thought: 'Easy peasy, seems like the Order's standard have dropped. These entrance exams used to be much tougher when my brother applied.' The glittery power soon bore holes in the paper, degrading them, and it's not so soon when the paper disappear altogether. He went back rummaging through his bag again, this time round he took out a pen and started drawing the emblem he saw from the side of the vampire hunter's gun. Wang Yao is pretty damn sure that if he is not a musician, he would definitely be an artist.

The courtyard of this town is wide and surrounded by pretty white buildings with dark orange tiled roofs, the lively courtyard is bustling with vendors and cafes, and people busy and engrossed with their own little circle of friends. Wang Yao stand in the middle of the courtyard, an ample amount of space unutilised by any vendors or shops, he stand on tip toe, head tilting up and turns round and round the place, looking, it looks comical and he knows it, but avoiding standing on tip toe means that he can't do any searching amongst the people, all much taller than him.

"Hey shorty." He heard, and then a light pat down on his shoulders. Spinning around, he saw a beautiful looking girl with clear green eyes that shines under the sun, her bright disposition caught Yao off guard, but not enough to prevent Yao's snarky reply: "What can I help you with rude girl? And DON'T, ever pat another person's shoulder like that, you're patting away all my luck."

The girl tilted her head, musing, her long brown locks slides off her shoulders smoothly, then she asked: "Is this some sort of superstition from where you come from?"

"This is not superstition, girl. Are you a mage?" Wang Yao continue, changing the topic.

"How did you know?"

"I figured."

"That's amazing!"

Wang Yao gave the girl an incredulous look despite the fact that she just complimented him. "Do you know how teleport?" he asked.

The girl nodded enthusiastically.

"Let's go then."

"Let's introduce ourselves." The girl said, holding her hand out.

"Aww, that's… not really needed, does it." Wang Yao scowl. "We will be late, just.. teleport us over. We will have all the time in the world later to introduce ourselves." Wang Yao's eyes drifted off and he saw a suspicious looking figure, with face hidden under a big beard, under the guise of the squeezing crowd, took a hand of a little girl away from her mother. The mother panic, hands started flailing about over the wave of multiple heads and bodies pushing her away further from the perpetrator. "Help." She shouted, "My daughter is missing. Olivia, where are you?" her voice drown amongst the noises.

"No, we have to introduce ourselves proper. That's how each adventure starts. I'll start first, I'm Elizabeta Hedervary III, from the House of Hedervary. I am current-." She started.

"Elizabeta." Wang Yao cut off, eyes still on the man. "How good are your magic?"

"I can be one of the next Five in the Order." The girl replied confidently. All eyes around the courtyard are attracted to the commotion the mother is making.

Wang Yao turn back to her again with a weird look and said: "Well then, Miss Hedervary, conjure me a bow and arrow as fast as you could and we're even."

"Even what?" she replied, finger tips started glowing in blue that slowly extend to the whole of her hands, she cup both her palm together and as the force from her powers created enough wind that blew her brown hair flying like tentacles scrambling in the air, she pull both her palm apart and in between the intense brightness that is blinding to the eyes, an object appears to be pulled out along with it. Elizabeta caught the simple but sturdy built of a bow and three arrows as she finish pulling her palm apart.

"For calling me a shorty." Yao mumbled, he started moving along as the man gets too far. Elizabeta followed after and wave the bow and arrows, Yao look at her and the conjured items in shock. "How are you going to have enough mana to teleport us now?" Yao asked wide eyed, but he could not wait for Elizabeta's reply any longer, the man is disappearing into the alley soon. Wang Yao grab the bow and arrows from Elizabeta's hands, he jump up onto a nearby table where a bunch of ladies are having their teas, screaming as Yao hops up knocking away their trays.

With a clear top down view, Wang Yao place an arrow in between his finger, on the hand holding the bow, he pull it against the string, close to his body and face and aim the moving target. He came from a place where the sport of horseback riding while shooting target is a popular sport, this is nothing. He let the arrow go, and fast as the wind, it shot into the thigh of the man. The man look back and saw Wang Yao, in anger, then he hastily picks the girl up and started running despite the wound on his thigh.

Breath hitched, Yao quickly hop from table to table and push against the crowd after the man. He chased the man to down the alley and to a series of deserted shop houses. The man turns around and, still carrying the girl, disappear into one of the houses. Without thinking twice, Yao chase after.

The inside of the house is pitch black and filled with debris left behind from its glory days, the sound of leaking pipe in the distance echoes through the walls. Wang Yao suddenly recall that it's a bad idea to corner his enemy with himself in a confined space, he almost the died the previous time if not for Ivan, but Ivan is no longer with him.

But the little girl might be in danger.

A shuffling of feet from the second floor prompted Yao to rush off upwards, the man is in a room where large windows have been broken and sunlight falls in, luminating it. He have just finish conjuring a portal and was about to pass through it before Yao pulled him out, snatching the dazed girl from him. Unwilling to let his prey be snatched away so easily, he kick Yao in chest. Wang Yao flew back; the force unhinged the little girl from the man's fingers, and she fell into Yao's arms. The man chase after, a wooden tablet fell with a sound out of the man, and the man was momentarily distracted. Wang Yao saw it clearly with the aid of the lights, a chrysanthemum carved in similar fashion as the one on the drawer pulled out from his flesh.

"Who are you?" Yao demanded.

The man lunged forward, if he was merely avoiding Yao just now, he is now moving with murderous intent. Yao push the girl aside, as a man fell on him, he held the man up by both of his wrist, he can see clearly that the man's fingers are crystallised into a long, jagged and sharp purple obsidian crystal, one stab down, whichever fingers, and Yao is sure that he is a goner. "Who sent you? Who is your master?"

"I'll tell you when you die."

Wang Yao look at the arrow lying on his side, if only he could have another arm to take and stab this arrow back at him, instead of being stuck in a deadlock with this man right here. Just then, a portal appears right next to the one the man created. Elizabeta steps through, and after snapping off her shock, lightning surface off between fingers and palm, it move together into a ball of energy hovering above her palm, it's not long before it reaches a certain size and Elizabeta toss them over at the man.

The electricity courses through the man's body, sending his body twitching and convulsive in shock, the electricity passes through him to Yao and before it can do even more further damage, Elizabeta quickly move over and kick the man off Yao.

"I'm sorry." Elizabeta apologise meekly. Yao is lying on the floor, eyes rolling to the back and twitching occasionally A moment later, his eyes rolled back, and he let out a few coughs before sitting up. He spun his head towards Elizabeta sternly: "You're reckless!"

"I'm really sorry!" Elizabeta reiterated.

"But you saved me, so you're forgiven." Yao continued.

Elizabeta smile sweetly.

"Close the portal and tie that dude up, I have some questions for him." Wang Yao order bossily, climbing up to his feet and standing beside Elizabeta. The girl did not feel offended and did as she was told, it took Elizabeta less than a minute to close another person's portal. The man stir to life just as Elizabeta finish casting the last of the binding spells on him. The man struggle in shock and desperation, looking at the glowing binds arounds his body and thigh and back at Yao and Elizabeta.

"We.." Yao started, then he look at Elizabeta's puffed up face that look like she is acting a little too hard to look fierce and continue: "I.. have some questions for you. Now if you answer them nicely and I would consider letting you go, but if not, I would turn you in to the local authorities for kidnapping a little girl."

"Are you really intending to let him go?" Elizabeta asked indignantly.

Yao hush lowly at her, signalling that he was just bluffing to get answers out. Then he loudly proclaim: "Of course, it's a deal if he do talk."

"Yeah, you should just talk so that we can let you go for hurting a little girl."

"First thing first, who do you work for?" Yao asked.

The man hung his head lowly and kept extremely quiet, eyes darting left and right as cold sweat breaks across his forehead. Yao knit his brow and turn back to Elizabeta for answers but found similar concerns over at her face. "Hey, don't think of trying to get out of this situation by acting like you're sick or something. It doesn't work. Hey! Answer me, who do you work for? What is this? You must have work for a master with this symbol," Yao said, picking up the wooden tablet among the debris and show it to the man.

The man's eyes widened, and he look even more desperate, struggling hard against his binds. "You can stop your struggle. I learnt from the best and my binds will not break on some mere physical damage." Elizabeta smirk, delighted at her work.

The sweat drips off and splatter on the dusty ground. The man mumbled a little something and soon, a loud crunch resonated through the air and the man started trembling with his head down, out of sight from Yao and Elizabeta.

"What happened?" Elizabeta asked, eyes scrutinizing the scene from a distance.

Wang Yao let took a sharp intake of breath from the realisation and rushes over, he gave the man a push on the shoulder and found him foaming from his mouth. The corrosive foam grew in size and have already melted the skin of his lower jaw, revealing the red stringy muscles and occasionally bones. The sight of this horrid scene threw Yao off the balance and he move a few steps back in shock, the tablet in Yao's hand suddenly burst into flames. Yao threw it away on the floor and look back at the already dead man.

The foam works fast and in within a few minutes, the body have turned into a puddle of blood water, soaking into the dust and crevice on the floor, while the tablet that burst into flames because ashes, blown away into the atmosphere from the wind. Wang Yao and Elizabeta stood there, unsure of what to think about this.

"This is bad." Wang Yao said, the first to break the silence.

"What is bad? Why did that man…." Elizabeta asked, apparently disturbed by what she have seen.

"It's okay, let's get this girl back to her mother. She must be worried sick."

Elizabeta nodded grimly and followed after Yao.

* * *

The duo brought the dazed little girl to the authorities of the town, and they quickly left before anyone can stop them for questioning. The two scurried away like little rats, and back to the middle of the courtyard like they did in the first place.

"I am so sorry Miss Hedervary for wasting your mana like this, but I am afraid we are unable to proceed to the exam venue together. I am in a rush; I have a friend to save." Yao bowed lightly, wishing to find a new mage to bring him to where he needs to go.

Elizabeta beamed before proclaiming: "What are you talking about? I can still bring us over. I still have enough mana for a hundred more portals, or maybe even more."

Yao's worried eyes look into hers deeply, he pat her heavily on both her shoulders and said: "I will make up for your lost chance one day, please forgive me, but I really need to find a way to my friend now." Elizabeta look at his outstretch arms, amused, then she commented: "I'm really okay. I'm not lying when I said that I can be the one of the next Five, my gifts are given by one of them." Then the smile on her face seems to dim a little as she look away, reminiscing something fondly. "I'm on my way to see him again. Come on, let's go, I won't ask any more questions, but I'll bring you to where you need to go."

Wang Yao's eyes widen at his luck, the world is huge, and he get to stumble upon a girl with powers gifted by one of the Five from the Order. He silently thank whoever is out there looking out for him. "Thank you, Miss Herdervary."

"Aww, come on. Call me Eliza, it's short and sweet. I still haven't got your name though."

"My name Wang Yao. You can call me Yao."

"Alright then, Yao, my new friend and my current exam partner, I have seen the mark on your hand and as an exceptional mage that can definitely pass the Order's test, I shall now bring us to the exam venue. Hold onto my hands tight, because it won't be a portal I'm opening." Elizabeta announce dramatically, she didn't always have a flair for being this dramatic, but she only mimic it from the best.

She held out both of her hands and grab Yao on both of his elbow. Then closing her eyes, she mumbled some strange lines, Yao could feel every part of his body tingles, and every single inch of his skins slowly comes apart, like a piece of paper being soak in water for prolong period of time and every fibre just comes apart gently. A flash of lights that blinds their eyes slowly grew and grew, until it enveloped both of them and just as quickly as how Yao felt about his fibres being pulled apart, it connected itself back in as well.

The next time Yao open his eyes, his eyes slowly adjusted from the bright lights, and he found that they are standing in a grandly decorated great hall. At one of the ends of the great hall stood five grand thrones, the top of those thrones is the impressive emblem of the Order of the Eternal Watch in gold. A single closed eye. The hall is lit by the multitude of candles along the walls, an old, bald man with a hunchback dressed in long drape robe is lighting them up one by one and casting a little magic in each one of them, the candle stop flickering after. Large, embroidered banners of various countries, city state and organization hung across the ceiling of the hall. Wang Yao recognise one of those banners as the place where he came from.

"I don't think… We have arrived at the right place." Wang Yao whispers, this look like a place where outsiders like them, even with the exam as an excuse, should never be.

"No…" Elizabeta said, "It's where I need to be." She walks up to the old man and demanded: "I seek an audience with the White King."

The old man turn towards her slowly, unsmiling, he look at her from top to bottom, and slowly he turned back and continued his work.

Huffing a little, Elizabeta demanded again: "I seek an audience with the White King!" Her voice echoes through the walls of the hall.

The old man turn towards her slowly for the second time and said: "Just because the White King tolerated your existence in this sacred hall, that does not mean that the others will easily let it slide. Please leave, I will not say it twice."

"Knew it." Elizabeta mumbled, then she turn back to Yao and held his wrist. "I'll bring us to the exam venue; I am sorry for being reckless again."

"Halt." the old man shouted. "The man will have to stay. His blood will have to be spilled for coming here uninvited."

"No." Elizabeta cried out in horror, pulling Yao back. The old man move fast beyond his age and physique, his gnarly fingers wrapped around Yao's throat before any of them could blink. Wang Yao can't feel himself moving and can only stare at the old man's hook nose and dribbling mouth as the fingers tightened.

The whole hall shook, dust disturbed and flew around their sight. The old man's finger loosen, and he turn to look at the ceiling and all around him. In the distance where the eye above the throne was once closed, it is now open. At one of the thrones, second from the left, sat a hologram of a figure clothes in a large black hood.

"Master, what brings your holy existence to this humble hall." The old man cried hoarsely, knees buckling and crawling towards the throne.

The figure on the throne let out a sway of his hood and disappears. The eye on the throne now closed.

"Yes master, yes, I will heed your words." The old man touch his head to the ground repeatedly. He quickly stood up and push Wang Yao and Elizabeta out towards the high and tall arch doors at the other end of the hall, "Leave, Leave now, both of you. The Everbloom have spoken and his merciful decision means you can live another day. Go! The exam venue is down at the middle of the mountains. Out!"

"Why doesn't he want to see me." Elizabeta whine, tears almost falling now. "If even the Everbloom came, why not him."

Wang Yao grabbed her shoulders, shaking it, and said sternly: "Eliza. Bring me to the exam venue. My friend is in great danger. I have no more time to waste with you, I need to get to the vampire hunter's headquarters, please, I'm begging you."

"I'm sorry." Elizabeta mumbled, then she held Yao by both his arms again and teleported him to the exam venue. Chattering was heard even before the blinding lights subsided, it stops momentarily with gasps of surprise, shock or even admiration from the people in the room, Wang Yao look at Elizabeta's brooding face then around the room. The room is filled with people, aspiring mages and vampires or werewolves' hunters.

Whisperings and pointing are directly at the both of them, and Yao can vaguely hear them all saying along the lines of 'Did you see that?', 'Teleportation with no portals.', 'That girl must have a deep mana base.', 'That hunter is lucky to have scored such a mage.'

"Alright alright guys settle down. We are closin' da batch fer now, all you mages stand on da left side, and all you hunters on da right, you mages gonna have one more test alright ya? We give you a series of coordinates, and you teleport them hunters to their respective headquarters. Once you delivered da hunters, the mages stationed at their headquarters will report to us, okey? And you pass." the organiser announced.

"How are we going to make another portal again, it's less than 24 hours, mana don't replenish that fast." One of the participants shouted out.

"I don't care ye. This is da test. Take the coordinates from this ugly man here." he continued, patting the stern and burly looking man beside him.

Elizabeta went up and took the piece of paper from the man, glance through it and snatch Yao away, she teleported them to a place extremely high up the mountain, the cold wind blew sharply into their skin and bones, a mage in large woolly costume sat there with a table inside a protective bubble sipping on hot tea. The mage look largely uninterested and ask for Elizabeta's name before swaying her off. Then Elizabeta teleported them to another place, and another and another, the same thing happens, mages sat on some remote areas and ask for her name before swaying her off.

The intensity of the teleportation threw Yao's stomach off balance, and he pukes at their fifth location. "Are you okay?" Elizabeta asked worriedly. "I am sorry." She mumbled her apologies again. "Let's take a rest here, it's a normal temperature forest. We will be at the headquarters at our next stop."

She let Yao sit down under a big oak tree and she sat down beside him. It was quiet between them, only the sound of the forest. "Who's the White King?" Yao finally asked, as the feeling of nausea subsided.

"An annoying childhood friend of mine." Elizabeta smiled. "What about you? Who's that friend of yours that you wanted to save?" she ask, obviously changing the topic of conversation.

Wang Yao pondered a little before asking: "He's a … vampire I accidentally woke up from his slumber. And…. although he is a vampire that probably lived 100 times of my lifespan before he acted just like a child. He made an epic entrance to my life by saving me, and I think I will do that too, it will be fun to see the look on his face when he sees me."

"Do you like him?"

Yao snap his head towards the girl. "Of course, he's my friend."

Then she said: "Vampires are cursed creatures; they live a wretched life in exchange for immortality. Unable to control their desires and obsessions, they will always destroy what they love."

"That's not true. Ivan is a good vampire."

"Maybe he really liked you that much then." Elizabeta mumbled.

"Could you repeat that? I didn't catch that."

"I said, what if he outlived you?"

"That's fine. He will be fine. He lived for so long before, I'm sure he could handle death pretty normally."

"That's what you think."

Wang Yao pouted a little at Elizabeta's response. 'What does she know about Ivan.' He thought. Or maybe, what does he knows about Ivan.

"Your friend, Ivan. I have a plan to help you. In exchange for you helping me to get into the great hall earlier. Thank you, I guess to see the White King, I just have to work my way up the ranks of the Order now. This is my first step and thank you for being here."

"Wait, what do you mean by me helping you get into the great hall?"

"Listen. This is what I will do….." Elizabeta started describing her plan, ignoring Yao's question.

* * *

The reporting area of the headquarters looks like a dungeon, with protruding grey bricks here and there, where stone floorings are uneven as well. It was quiet and there are not much people are the stated venue, except for a few angry and hardened faces, probably joining the vampire hunters to avenge their family or something. A mage sat in the corner nearby the person in charge for the vampire hunter's registration, and his lanky looking assistant's eyes brighten at the sight of Elizabeta, she turn towards him and let out a smile.

"Guess we are luckier than we thought, I found a target." Elizabeta whispered to Yao.

The assistant walk towards Elizabeta and Yao and said: "Hey there. It's rare to see such a pretty looking mage like you coming to a place like this."

As though on cue, Yao started holding Elizabeta's arms and shaking it in a childish manner, like a child begging for something. Elizabeta swiftly held him by his shoulders, and she look toward the assistant with an eye nobody could say no to: "My brother's friend here aspires to be a vampire hunter from this esteem academy, while I aim to be a mage. Could you…" she trailed off in embarrassment.

"I could help you. What do you want?" The assistant said, eager to impress.

"We.. want to see… some vampires." Elizabeta asked shyly but smile ever so sweetly.

"About that…" the assistant's face change, but quickly recomposed himself and said: "Bad luck sweet lady. We found a way to kill all the vampires we have caught all the years, so the cells are kind of empty now." He shrugged.

"Oh.." Elizabeta let out, voice obviously filled with disappointment that even the deaf could tell. Then she stood up, giving a glance at Yao, she pulled the man aside and whispers: "Is there any chance that there's at least one vampire to show him? My brother is worried about his friend, and he doesn't want him to be a vampire hunter at all. But you can't deny that he is very talented in this field. Please? Don't you guys have one vampire that can scares him off the idea of being a vampire hunter?" Elizabeta lets out the vulnerability through her eyes, the kind that makes all men swoon and melt, swearing to protect at all cost.

"I… "

"Please, good sir. Do you have one?"

The assistant ponders a little, eyes wandering at Elizabeta's chest area, which are within the close proximity of his arms. The cleavage partially shown as she moves in closer to whisper finally distracted the assistant enough to say yes, that they do in fact have one that could scare people off.

"Follow me quietly. No one shouldn't even be here other than the research department, but it is an open secret that we have a vampire with royal blood locked away somewhere in the bottom research cells. I heard he came in willingly, guess it must be getting crazier out there that even vampires are willing to come in to be research and harvested on. Do you know that this particular vampire's blood can be used to destroy all the lesser vampires permanently?"

"Really?" Elizabeta gasped out in fake surprise, she knows it always boost the ego of men like these. "Oh pray, please tell me more about these. They are so interesting, I almost thought that there are nothing that can kill a vampire, how awful it must be for evil things to never die."

"You worry too much m'lady. Once you are back to the Order, you will learn that our academy have collaborated with Order to research on ways to destroy vampires permanently even without their kind's blood. Soon, we will find a way to kill even this royal vampire. We are still experimenting on it."

Wang Yao's heart sank, 'what have they done to Ivan.' He silently thought.

The assistant navigated through a series of places in the academy, and finally brought them through a cold corridor to the only door at the end, they arrive at this iron door, rusty but definitely heavy and sturdy. There's only a window at the top and Wang Yao could only get a clear view inside on tiptoe. It's pitch black inside, an icy wind of thick metallic smell of rot and stale air wafted out in between the bars. Spooky sounds heavy metal chains ring and echoes through the walls when Yao gets near the door.

"This is where the body and the head of the vampire is held." The assistant proudly announced.

"Why is it so dark? I can't see a thing inside." Elizabeta asked, peering into the windows as well.

"Well, there's no need to waste light on vampires. Besides, we drag his body out to be drain once every two or three hours. He gets all the lights he need over there."

"I want to see how he looks like" Elizabeta giggled, and with pushing her slender forefinger past the bars, a tiny ball of light appear and got propelled inwards. The ball of light luminate the insides of the cells, brown, red and blue stain with unknown dried bits splattered across the whole cell room, and a figure sat on the floor with both of its held up by the silver cuffs attached to the walls. But there's no head in sight, the body ends abrupt with a nasty jagged wound on the neck, with the end of the spine protruding out a little, a result of the head being pulled out after cutting it halfway with a blunt object. His wrist are almost burnt to dry bits, where its regenerative skin can't compete with the damage done by the pure silver. Long cut wounds barely healed littered all over its shivering naked body.

Wang Yao took a sharp intake of breath, his grip tightened as anger rise up to his head from the bottom of his guts. 'How dare they do this to Ivan. How dare they…!' he thought, body trembling with rage. The body inside the cell moves, chains clatter in response.

Elizabeta let out an audible gasp of horror, Yao did not know if that's on purpose or not, for her reaction was not too exaggerated given the state of things inside the cell. "That's horrid sight, I think I'm a little sick in my stomach." She said, falling onto the assistant much to his delight. "Could you show me to the bathroom, I think I need a little help over there." She fell to her knees, back of her hand holding her head, feeling faint.

"M'lady, let me help you. It's a little distance but I'll bring you over." The assistant cooed, soothing her by stroking down her back, though the fingers stayed on her skin a little longer with every stroke.

"Oh, thank you, kind sir. Yao, please stay here till we are back." She said, as the man held her by her waist, she turn back at Yao and gave him a little wink. Then with a swipe on her left feet, something shiny slide across and near to Yao. It's a bunch of keys. 'Till we meet again.' She mouthed the words, before turning back.

It's not long before they are out of sight along the corridor. Wang Yao tested the lock with the bunch of keys and it finally clicks on the third one. He rushes in, cold air crawls against his skin leaving all the goose bumps in its wake. He rubs them down and quickly rushes to the body. Ivan have always been scared of the cold, and they left him here without a head, naked in pain and in cold.

"I'll get you out of here. Don't worry." Yao mumbled frantically. With the aid of the light left behind by Elizabeta, fingers work quickly on the cuffs, Ivan's wrist are finally free from silver and it drop down limply onto the ground with a thud. Without its wretched support, the body fell forward, and Yao caught it in its arms. The body is ice cold, and still shivering. Wang Yao took off his jacket and wrap it around the body, rubbing its limps and its back, hugging it.

The wounds over his body still refuses to heal, and in one desperate move, Wang Yao look out a tiny knife he always kept hidden in his pocket and slice it across his palm, blood pooled and Yao smear it all over Ivan's body, onto any wounds still open on his body. It works, the wounds absorb his blood greedily, closing it almost immediately, and leaving his skin smooth like before.

Now to find his head, Wang Yao stood up, but the hands of the body held Yao's arm tightly. It's grip are desperate, almost begging Yao not to leave him alone. Words are no use to a body without a head, various ways flashes through Yao's mind on how to best express to Ivan that he is not leaving, merely trying to find his head.

He slowly stroke Ivan's hand, then he move his arms with Ivan's hand gripping it, and place a soft, gently kiss on the back of Ivan's hands. He said the words: 'I'll be back for you' against his skin, and sure enough, the hand loosen its grip. Yao grab the ball of light and moved around the room; it looks way larger than Yao have originally thought. Skeletons, half rotten and burst up corpses littered the floor as he moves in deeper into the room.

Then as though it was some kind of sick joke, a tall table with a silver bird cage sitting onto of it is in the middle of the room surrounding the corpses. Inside the locked cage is Ivan's head, eyes closed and sunken in, a tear trail of crusty blue and brown originated from the two ends of his eyes trail down to the end of his face. His mouth a sewn shut in a crude manner. It did not move even as Yao gets closer.

"Why did they do this to you?" he whispers, palm still dripping with blood, he open the birdcage and gingerly carried out the head. Wang Yao stroke the cold, pale skin head, soothing the hair, on the verge of tears.

"Ivan…" he let out, hugging the head tightly on his chest. He took out the knife earlier and slowly cut open his sewn mouth, he smear his own blood across Ivan's eyes and mouth. The sunken eyelids filled in slowly, the wounds on his lips healed, his eyes flutter and struggled to open against the crust up blood, his long beautiful eye lashes stuck to it.

"Yao?" Ivan let out in disbelief. "Is that really you? Or am I dreaming again?" he asked.

"Yes, Yes it's really me Ivan. How could they do this to you?" he said, wiping Ivan's face from the dirt and blood.

Ivan smile weakly. "Although… You're the last person I want to see in this godforsaken cell, you're.. also, the person I want to see… the most. I thought I was hallucinating when I felt you nearing me."

"Stop talking this nonsense. How.. How do I make you whole again?"

"Put my head back to the body. I'll be okay again soon enough."

Wang Yao place Ivan's head back onto the now fully healed body. The jagged wounds reach each other out and quickly reattach his head back to his body. Ivan's hands touches his head, as though to reaffirm that it is truly back, then his rub the crusty blood away from his eyes and eyelashes, looking at Yao. Under the flickering light, Ivan broke out into the brightest smile, and held out both of his arms.

"I miss you." He whisper, it echoes through the walls, amplifying it.

Yao felt his nose sour, and when Ivan held out his hands, he fell into his arms, snuggling and sobbing.

"Everything is alright now. I'll bring us out of here. I'll bring you to where you want to go. "Ivan cooed, stroking his head gently.


	5. Chapter 5

**Dead man's Blues C5**

**Hi Ilich, I'm so glad you like Elizabeta! I love Aph Hungary too TT! Thank you!**

**Hi Guest, thank you so much, you are really too kind with your words!**

**A/N: Michelle B. is actually Aph Seychelles. Also, the song referenced in this chapter is "I'm a fool to want you" - Billie Holiday.**

**As usual, not proof read, do let me know if there are any glaring mistakes that alters certain meanings. Thank you.**

* * *

In a bust of anger, Yao push themselves apart and started scolding Ivan. "Why did you do that? Do you think you're so noble to sacrifice yourself for me? What do you think I am? Some damsel in distress that need your saving? Listen to me you blockhead! Don't do that anymore, look what they did to you! Are you a masochist that enjoys being beheaded and cut up like this? You said I woke you up, so I am responsible for you! You're not allowed to leave me alone, not allowed! You will only be free when I die."

Ivan stared at Yao, at his puffed-up cheeks, his angry knitted brows, at how he is berating him, at his sort of humorous threats, an urge to laugh is surfacing and at the same time, he is touched at Yao's reaction.

He gave out a small, pent up smile and nodded.

"Stop smiling, it's not funny. I almost thought you're gonna die." Yao huffed, crossing his arms from annoyance.

"I can't die." Ivan replied thoughtfully.

"Yeah right, that guy from this academy just said that they are working with the Order to find a way to kill vampires like you. And what's this, I don't recall your blood being red, so what are all these dried brown stuffs stuck on your face? They must have found a way to turn your body into living flesh again, that's how you bled like this." Yao nagged, poking onto Ivan's cheek.

"Oh.." Ivan let out, not a slightest sense of fear can be detected. "So, I can die. That's nice."

"Stop being an idiot." Yao snapped. "I said you're only free when I die."

Ivan look at Yao with a cheeky grin and said: "Well, I can give you immortality too, then I will never be free from you."

"Stop messing around!" Yao let out, pinching Ivan's arms.

"Let's go, I'll bring us out of here." Ivan smiled.

"You're naked, that's a first thing. And how are we going to get out of here?" Yao asked, sniffing up his nose and wiping away all traces of tears.

"I.." Ivan stuttered, suddenly embarrassed and conscious about himself. He look away and saw the skeletons and half rotten corpses still dressed in their clothes and said: "I.. Maybe I can borrow some of their clothes."

Yao turn his head toward Ivan's glance, he wrinkle his nose and look back at Ivan: "No, that's disgusting. You..You can wear my clothes first. Let's get you new ones when we are out of here."

Ivan came out of the cell in a tight singlet that only hide the upper half of his upper body, muscle pressed tightly against the cloth, and as none of Yao's pants is big enough to fit him, they settle for a towel that covers him like a kilt instead. He stood in front of Yao, where the latter scrutinized him from up to down.

"I guess it's better than nothing." Yao commented. Then he later added a slight giggle.

"I think I look pretty great. Don't you think?" Ivan let out a pose, but noises from the distance in between the walls snap his head away from Yao. He knit his brow, inching in closer to Yao subconsciously. "Let's go. I think they are coming again."

"How are we going to get out of here? I.. I might have something…" Yao mumbled, rummaging through his bag again.

"There's no need, I'll just break our way out of here." Ivan answered good naturedly.

"Are you crazy? You will create a commotion and soon we will have a league of vampire hunters after you and me! Are you forgetting that we are still here in the academy?"

"We'll be okay." Ivan laughed, then he snake his arms around Yao's waist and grab him up easily with strength Yao did not know he had. "W-What are you doing?" Yao stuttered as he felt himself being lifted by his waist on Ivan's arms. "Put me down."

"Do you know that this academy is located at the top of a really high mountain surrounded by sea? There's no door out of here, and the only way out of here is through a portal created by a mage." Ivan explains as he walks back to the cell with Yao struggling to touch the floor with his feet. "Let me down, Ivan! What are you going to do then?"

"Do you know Yao; I have a pair of wings too. It's not as pretty as Alfred's, and it might look a bit gross to you so you might like it, but I think it can get us out of here." Ivan explains, and before another word can be uttered by Yao, Ivan punch the walls that once held up his back with his bare fist. The thick wall is dented, cracks creeping like vines in all direction.

"I-Ivan." Yao muttered out in obvious shock.

Ivan punch the walls again a few more times, each time the walls caved in more, and the cracks creeped further and further until the wall can no longer support the weight of the crumbling stones, it all falls apart. A strong gust of wicked cold wind blew in, the kind that cuts, it fills the cell in with loud howling and chills. Wang Yao struggle to even keep his eyes open, but he could hear the loud roars of waves crashing against the rocks.

"Are you crazy?" he shouted, but the howls and roars of the wind and seas drown his voice into a mere whisper. He managed to get out of Ivan's grip and now stand facing the huge wall in the hole, silently thinking that this is the kind of place that nobody can get in, nor out. Not humans, not vampires, not werewolves, or in fact any other monsters not well verse in magic.

Ivan turn towards Yao and let out a huge smile. "I might be, but do you trust me?"

"What do you mean?" Yao shouted, hands shielding his face from the merciless wind, legs spreading out and body lowered to keep himself from flying off.

"I said do you trust me?" Ivan asked again.

"I do. Of course, I do."

"Then come to me."

Wang Yao turn and look at Ivan. He stood there, pretty at ease; the strong winds seems to do nothing to him. The clothes on his body have long been gone, by the wind or whatever other reasons Yao do not know. But Ivan did not look like that Ivan Yao knew. The pale moonlight filling in seems to have turn Ivan's skin translucent, so translucent that Yao can see the dark blue and black veins crawling underneath that strangely alluring skin. His lips are dark blood red, long sharp fangs protrude out from both side of his mouth, threatening to tear any skin near the vicinity of those pair of lips. His eyes now black and red, brimming with water, look on fondly and expectantly at Yao. Slowly, Ivan lift up his arms popping with veins, as though asking for a hug just like before, yet the tip his fingers lies sharp black nails that was burst out from the root of his nail bed and its bleeding with black blood.

"Come to me."

Yao was taken aback by this gruesome change. He started breathing hard, as he look away from Ivan, trying to digest this change when Ivan speak again: "Come to me, I will never hurt you."

"I- "Yao started, but don't know how to continue.

"Please. I want to bring us out of here."

Wang Yao look out of the hole again, the waters are as violent as anyone can imagine, the way it crashes onto the steep mountain walls could kill anything instantly. They are so high up that he could see misty clouds blurring his visions, the kind of height that brings fear into his heart. The way out is going to be a very long fall to the end of everything.

Ivan look on. He could see the doubt and distress in Yao's eyes. Footsteps and shouts echoes through the hallway, somebody have realised the noise came from Ivan's cell and have come en masse to deal with him. They are nearing. Wang Yao look back at the door, then back at the sea below, almost at his wit's end, he look at the only thing in the room still trying to give him hope: Ivan.

"I- "He stuttered, taking a strained step against the wind towards Ivan.

It's the only confirmation Ivan needs.

With an almost frightening smile, Ivan run towards Yao and scoop him up, and before Yao could even react, Ivan is already standing at the edge of the crumbling ground. Wang Yao is never this scared in his life, he is clinging and clambering onto Ivan's neck tightly with his head burrow deep in between, eyes shut tightly, his thigh and legs closed in on Ivan's waist. But Ivan's strong, muscular arms are equally tight around Yao's head and body as well, but his breathing is steady, and his dark eyes are far away across the ocean.

"I'm scared, Ivan." The words Yao have been wanting to say have finally slipped out of his mouth at this moment. "Don't let me go please."

"I will never let you go." Ivan breathe out, and he fall forward, bringing Wang Yao down with him.

It's a long, arduous fall. The pressure of the cutting wind, the misty clouds with sharp droplets, they fall through all that. Ivan's eyes look down at the trembling body in his arms, and he whisper: "I used to fall like that until I met you."

"Ivan what did you say?" Yao shouted; head burrowing more into Ivan's neck. "I'm scared, I'm really scared."

A loud audible cracking sound split through his eardrums even amidst the roars of the ocean, Yao peek out a little from Ivan and saw a huge shadow burst out from Ivan's back. It looms over them for less than a second, and suddenly their fast descent down to death is slowed. Wang Yao's heart is beating so fast he thought it might burst out of his ribcage any time now. It's a huge pair of leathery wings with a wingspan that covers both of them entirely, dark red scaly flap of skin are slimy with black and blue liquid, it covers the four gnarly and sharp bone structure extending out in between the wing. There's three sharp thorns protrude out at the bend of the two wings that can scratch anyone's eyes out with a swing, it was truly monstrous.

But Wang Yao is glad, he is happy and still scared. He tighten the grip around Ivan's neck, this moment of breather gave his heart a chance to digest his emotions and as everything he felt came at once, tears started gushing out from his eyes. He sniffed it up but more just kept coming out, the floodgate have open and now he can't close it.

"I'm sorry for scaring you like this." Ivan said, as his wing gave another powerful flap, strong enough keep them in the air even against wind like these. "Don't cry anymore. I really won't hurt you."

"N-No. It's not that." Yao hiccupped. "I'm just.. happy. But I-can't-stop crying I don't know-why."

Ivan let out a smile. "I'm happy too." He said, stroking the back of Yao's head.

* * *

Wang Yao opens his eyes and found himself being greeted by a rocky ceiling and creeper plants crawling around it, the sound of a distanced fall of rain is reassuring. There's a small fire right by his side, bringing in a comforting warmth in the cold, he sat up, a blanket slide down from his shoulders. Wang Yao held it, bewildered. 'Where's Ivan?' he thought all of a sudden, looking around anxiously, but there was no one in sight, his heart started panicking thinking back about what happen before this. He fell straight down into the rocky ocean in Ivan's arms, and then.. everything that happens, he remembered feeling really scared, and then there's a pain in his chest where he thought he was literally dying from a heart attack. Everything went black after.

His palm flew to his chest, and against his clothes, he felt something, a bump. His heart skipped a beat, because he knows it might be the same thing again. Hastily, he pull down his shirt and saw it. The same old yellow chrysanthemum flower greeted him, right in the middle of his chest where he could feel his heart beating. Wang Yao knitted his brow, disturbed, but more than anything, he wonder why this is happening to him. Curiosity bites him, and he pulled on the handle, tearing the skin out into a little flesh compartment again. Instead of the usual peculiar item, the one lying on his flesh box is a hair pin, and not just any hair pins, its one made of gold polished to its brightest, intricate carving of a dragon and phoenix so lifelike that it dances amongst the golden clouds. It's a hair pin fit for a bride from where he came from. His thumb brush against the details of the hairpin, before he closes his palm over it.

The shuffling noises of leaves and branches against the falling rain snapped him out of his daze. Wang Yao quickly push the compartment back into his chest and look back out at the opening of the cave in alert. When the familiar figure dripping in water came in, Yao finally let out the breath he have been holding.

"You're awake." Came the same old greeting. Wang Yao have been hearing that for so long, and it brings him comfort to hear it again.

"Ivan.." he called, looking at the man in front of him.

"I bought you some food. It's not very hot now, but I promise to bring you to eat better things once the rain stops." Ivan said, taking off his raincoat. The same old trench coat, and the same old scarf he bought for him, and the same old Ivan is standing in front of me.

"You.. What happened to you?" Yao asked, more puzzled than ever. "You.. We… We were at the vampire hunter's academy, and they.. the things they did to you.. And then you.. You changed and had those fangs and wings."

Ivan stare on blankly and innocently at him with the bag of food in his arms.

"Are you okay, Ivan?"

Ivan nodded intently.

"How did we get here?"

"You fainted. I think the air pressure is too strong for your body to take it." Ivan said, sitting on the other side of the fireplace, he place the food in front of Yao and then proceeded to warm himself. He took a deep contented breath at the warmth as it slowly fills him up, as he took a quick sneaky glance over at Yao before looking away.

A comfortable silence followed, and they both stare at the flickering dancing flame in between them. "This is nice." Ivan let out.

Wang Yao wanted to ask Ivan more about the changes he saw at the edge of that crumbling wall, but perhaps now is not the time. A loud ugly sound emit from his stomach and he look down at his tummy feeling embarrassed, Ivan is already looking at him when he looked back at him. Suddenly, they both burst out laughing, like naïve little children laughing at the smallest of things.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm just really hungry."

"I knew it. That's why I bought you food."

"Aren't you eating too?" Yao said, as he peel the paper away from the sandwich.

"It's okay. I won't die from hunger."

"You can share mine then." Yao replied, tearing the sandwich into half and passing one half to Ivan. When Ivan shook his head, rejecting him. Wang Yao pouted and said: "People who reject me does not end up well. So, take it!"

Ivan smile and took it.

"We should take a rest. When the rain stops we could continue to make our way to Azmar. If things have gone by smoothly, with our speed we should have already reached Azmar." Yao sighed, munching in his sandwich and licking the sauce from his fingers.

"I'm sorry." Ivan apologise quietly.

"What are you talking about?" Yao asked.

"You… Shouldn't have come for me."

"What are you talking about!?" Yao said, annoyed at Ivan's words. "What do you mean by not coming for you? How could you say that after everything? You're heartless." Yao let out a snort and turn his back at Ivan.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Please don't be angry at me." Ivan whine, crawling over to inch his puppy eyes face at Yao's.

"You're annoying, I am going back to sleep." Yao simply said, wrapping up his uneaten sandwich and lie down.

"Can I sleep beside you?"

"No."

Not taking Yao's no for an answer, he snuggled down beside Yao, but it's not like Yao pushed him away or something. It's not much or it might be an illusion, but Yao could somehow feel that Ivan does not feel as cold as he used to be. Shaking his head, he realise that have so much things to worry and think about, but somehow this moment he just wants to sleep. And so, he did, with Ivan beside him.

Unbeknownst to Yao, Ivan only managed to stare at his face the whole night, unable to sleep.

* * *

The way out to the main road is filled with foliage for it's deep in the forest, although they are getting further and further away from the ocean, Yao could still vaguely hear the violent waves and it gives him the chills thinking about how they fall. The dews in the air soaked their clothes the more they move, and the air is cold, Wang Yao really wish they could teleport to an inn this instant.

"We will be out of here soon."

The thick branches and leaves suddenly clears and they both found themselves on a large main road, only one second ago, Yao felt it would take them forever to get out of there, the dense leaves and branches where grounds are overgrown with vegetation gave of that illusion. Wang Yao touches his chin as he scrutinize this pavement.

"There's a town around 20 minutes of walk from here." Ivan said, peeking out from his hood to the road in front of them.

"Wait Ivan, don't move." Yao held Ivan's wrist, looking around the area knitting his brow.

"What happened?"

"This place is familiar. Too familiar."

"You've been here before? I've never been here before." Ivan muse.

"No no no, I've definitely been here before. I can't recall where is this place for the love of god."

"Why not we just continue our way to the town and ask the people there about it?"

Wang Yao half listen but mostly still distracted from his thoughts. He followed after Ivan, and Ivan was surprisingly quiet. The road crunches as they walked, the soft breeze blew through, the golden yellow and baby blue rays shot through the dark blue sky filled with bits and pieces of clouds, the clouds turned into a soft pink and white where the rays touches. Ivan always smiles at scenes like these, for beautiful things like this hurts him.

"Ah! I remember. The town we are going to… it's.. it's Azmar isn't it?" Yao asked agitatedly.

"I-I don't know." Ivan stuttered, shock and caught off-guard by Yao's sudden outburst.

"You went there didn't you?"

"Y-Yeah I did."

"Did you see people in long purple hoods walking around? You know? Like yours except that their sleeves are golden rimmed with patterns?"

"Hmmm.. Now that you remind me, I think I did see them walking around buying groceries." Ivan tap on his chin, trying his best to recall.

"YES!" Yao let out, jumping up and hitting at the air with his fist. "We are here! To think that the vampire hunter's academy is hidden away so closely to Azmar. Then again, high mages frequented the library… And to envelope such a huge academy in a world of its own, such strength cannot be held up by a single high mage. Everything makes sense now."

"I don't understand."

"It's okay Ivan, you don't have to understand, you just have to know that we have reached Azmar. Soon we can be on our way to find ourselves a dead man to play the blues! Ahhh, speaking of that, it's been such a long time since I heard one, I'm so excited, there's a carbaret in Azmar with a singer with such beautiful voice, I hope she still works there. Everything went so well in the end, I'm so glad." Yao continued rambling, walking in front of Ivan now narrating about the things in Azmar. Ivan listen intently, following after him, and making sure that Yao don't trip while he Is excitedly talking.

They soon reach the grand looking border, where guards in silvery looking armour screens the visitors going through. Even though it's early in the morning, there is already a long line snaking all the way to the border. Merchants with carts and trolley full of goods, normal visitors visiting for a few days for their journey onwards, people from all walks of life chatter and lined up in order. Ivan stood beside Yao, unusually quiet and tense.

"What's wrong with you?" Yao asked, nudging the man beside him.

Ivan shake his head. Chin touching his chest, the hood falls down even more, blocking his face from view.

"Ivan, what happened? If you don't tell I'm leaving you."

"I- "Ivan started, "Don't leave me."

Wang Yao rolled his eyes internally, he can't believe he actually resorted to something he have used on little children, but he continued pressing: "Then tell me what happened."

"The guards didn't allow me in. They said that the city does not want any trouble, so they don't allow anything other than humans into the city. So I… So I went in from another way. The guards might recognise me again and reject my entry."

"Ivan.." Wang Yao sigh, as though resigning to fate that he is actually stuck with a vampire like this. "They won't reject you with me around. You don't need to worry about it. Look over there at that merchant, you see that one? The one in green. Do you see his trolley cages manned by so many armed subordinates?"

"Uh-huh."

"It's covered tightly with thick curtains, but inside them: they are all creatures that are definitely not humans." Yao snicker, shaking his head.

"What are they?"

"Werewolves."

"Ehh.." Ivan let out in surprised. "How could that man bring in werewolves when the guards don't even let me in. They are so much more uncontrollable than a vampire." Ivan asked indignantly.

"Most probably, merchant have connections with some nobles living in Azmar and he is bringing those werewolves in to sell them or make them do slavery stuff or something. There's an underground auction here that sells things as well, so most probably that too."

"A-Are you going to sell me?"

Wang Yao turn to give Ivan a look, which basically said: "Really?"

"I was just kidding." Ivan slide his arms around Yao's and sway it back and forth. "Yao-Yao would not be so heartless to sell me away."

"You are going to be my assistant. So, if the guards say anything, just say that you are Arthur Kirkland's assistant."

"Who is Arthur Kirkland?"

"He was my friend."

"Was?"

"Yeah, he died long ago."

"How did he die?"

"You have a lot of questions you know?" Yao said, pushing Ivan's arms out from his own. It's getting warmer and warmer since the sun is already up hanging in the sky, and Ivan's thick hood covering his body is made out of this rough material that rub Yao's skin raw whenever Ivan moves.

Ivan let out a sullen look, kept quiet for a few moments, and then ask questions again anyway: "Do you miss him?" Seeing that Yao did not reply, he continued: "Will you miss me if I am ever gone?"

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about again?" Yao ask, turning his head to look at Ivan, giving him the look again. "Of course, I will."

Ivan smile like an idiot in response. Wang Yao turn away, pretending to look at the other things, his chest, especially his heart is feeling a little weird. He blinks a little, thinking about how he kept feeling weird like these around Ivan ever since the he woke up from the fall. 'Oh right, the fall, he thought. Those changes Ivan had when we fall, and that pair of wings. He knows vampires doesn't have wings.' He look back at Ivan, who then look at him. After a while Ivan finally said: "Yes?"

"Why do you have wings?"

"Uhh.. I don't know."

"Does all your family members have wings?"

"No. I'm the only one." Ivan shrugged; a tad bit too carefree.

"Then… what's with those… changes."

"Changes?"

"You know. On top of that academy, before you recklessly jump down."

Ivan went quiet upon realising what Yao is referring to. Yao took a glance over, he can't see Ivan's face, but somehow he didn't press on for answers. "Are you scared of me?" Ivan finally said. "I always scares people when that side of me came out. But I don't hurt them, I won't hurt you either. I just look scary, but I am still me, I am still Ivan. I r-"

"Ivan." Yao cut him off, reaching out to grab Ivan's wrist. "I know you won't, I trust you okay?" He wanted to ask him more about it, but it seems like Ivan looks too distressed over the topic for him to press on any further. Perhaps, he will be able to find out about this in the library.

The line went on for a long time, and when it is finally Ivan and Yao's turn, slightly more than half a day have went by. They are famished beyond any means, and they still haven't found any lodging yet. After a quick meal at a roadside store and dumping their necessity at a relatively cheap but cosy inn, Yao dragged Ivan out and headed straight to the cabaret he have been rambling about this morning. "The evening show is starting and if we want any good seat, we would have to be there early. I swear it's going to be worth it if it is her."

It was another waiting game while they are there, but the cabaret was quickly filled up to the brim even before it was anywhere near the timing for the evening show. The inside was spacious, with the first floor of the littered with round and rectangle tables covered with thick white tablecloths, in the middle of the space where the view to the stage is the clearest, it is luminated with two bright but soft yellow lamps, and side of the space beyond the pillars of building are luminated with three soft orange lamps spaced equally. On the second floor, tables are laid, and customer there get to enjoy the view to the stage as well. Vegetation are placed, here and there, in an aesthetically pleasing spot. And onto the stage itself, at the very top, frame in gold are the words: WEST END'S PALACE, which is basically the name of this cabaret. The red curtains are still shut tightly, much to the annoyance of everyone waiting. The chattering, smell of smoke and alcohol of various sort echoes through the tall building, and occasionally the boss of the cabaret decided to let the band plays a music or two to entertain the waiting crowd. The notes flows through the space, bounces off the walls, pairs with the environment, gives off a cosy and fun atmosphere.

"Yao, can I have another round? This thing taste really good." Ivan asked, staring at his rows of empty shot glasses.

"Are you serious?" Yao said, looking at Ivan and also his empty shot glasses in disbelief. "That was your fifth round of shot glasses of pure, unfiltered vodka on the rocks. Are you sure you want any more?'

"The second round was with salt and lemon."

"That's not my point Ivan." Then he leaned in close and ask: "Do vampires even get drunk or was it just you who don't get drunk?"

Ivan look at Yao with his big eyes innocently. "Just.. me I guess. Though I do think it takes more for vampires to get drunk I think. I want more please. Three more rounds."

"They sell one rounds with five shot glasses of alcohol Ivan; you are drinking way too fast."

"Please."

Wang Yao ordered more for Ivan, and Ivan downed them all like it was nothing. He just finished his last round when the lights suddenly dim and then a loud booming voice echo through: "Ladies and gentlemen, please give your rounds of applause for Michelle B." The roar of the eager applause shatter through the chattering, bright and loud spotlight shine on the red curtain, which promptly opens to reveal a very sweet young girl, her long silky brown hair is parted into two and tied up into two big and pretty red ribbons down on her two bare shoulders. She is wearing a glittery blue frilly dress that flows all the way down to her mid-thigh. And although her eyes are kind, her lips are devil red, and her skin is the colour of mocha.

The band are in the background, one with a saxophone, another a trumpet on the left side, the one with a piano on the left, while the drummer and the one with the double bass in the middle. Clicking her shiny blue shoes with a beat, the band starts the third and she started to sing. Her voice sounds a little raspy, but the nuances in tone between the words she sings brings in a different kind of flavour into the songs people have heard so many times. It paired so well with the music emitted by the band; like they are always meant to be together. Wang Yao look on at the stage immersing himself into this delightful music, swaying with the singer on the stage and drinking and eating. The happier he gets, the more alcohol he ordered for Ivan and him though.

"More for us please." Yao halted a well-dressed looking waitress, who promptly nodded and replied: "Right away sir."

The bright lights on stage cast on a shadow on Yao's face, but even then, Ivan could see that Yao was flushed red. His actions a little unsteady, and his eyes are half lidded and if he closes his eyes when he blink a little second more, he would have fallen into a deep sleep. The waitress soon came back with their drinks.

"Sir, are you okay?"

"Yes." Yao replied, nodding.

"Sir, are you with him?" The waitress ask Ivan.

"Yes."

The waitress smile and hinted: "Are you two-?"

"Yes."

The waitress giggle and replied: "Well, you got yourself a good catch then. He looks really cute."

Ivan nodded and said proudly: "I'm lucky."

Wang Yao nodded along; eyes closed, smiling. Then his head got heavier and it falls down onto the table. It was Michelle's last song for the night anyway, Ivan stoke the back of Yao's head and enjoyed her last song for him. It's a song about a person who knows loving someone is wrong, but still, they can't get away.

'_Time and time again I said I'd leave you, time and time again I went away, but then would come the time when I would need you.' _

'It's true." Ivan mumbled under his breath; eyes glossy from the thoughts. "She sings it as though she knows how it feels but it's all true." It's a pretty sad way to end the night, but Ivan guess that's okay, for it is all true.

Under the beautiful starry night, the evening finally ended. The crowd pours out and Ivan woke Yao up. Together, they made their way back to their cosy room in the inn and prepared for bed. "Ivan, what did the waitress told you just now? I didn't catch it." Yao ask as he sat on the bed after the bath, wiping his hair dry.

"Nothing, just asking about the drinks."

"Oh. Okay."

"You really didn't hear what she said?" Ivan said, turning around. But Yao already fallen into a deep sleep. Ivan crawled into bed after him and wrapped his arms around him. After a long time, Ivan sneak a kiss onto Yao's pink and soft cheek.

* * *

It was a long and painful sleep; blurry scenes of events invaded his dreams. Wang Yao opens his eyes; heavy leads seems to have been injected into his eyelid and he could barely keep them open. He touches his stomach area and found a bump onto it, he lifted up his shirt and found the same thing again. This time though, he only angry at his disturbed sleep, he pulls it open and pick out the thing inside, quickly, he put the compartment back into stomach and fall right back into sleep, the thing still in his palm.

The foggy scenes came back and it seems as though he is in another place. His eyelid flutter opens unfocused, and he found another person's face staring back at him, it's still blurry enough that he could not make out the person's facial features. He could not move, firstly due to the fact that he was restrained in his wrist and thigh, the ropes was pulled on tightly and held on some place Yao could not see. The person's breathing is rough and jagged as it's body continues to push in between him.

"You're awake." The person speaks in a soft and gentle voice, clearly a man's, his fingers caress lightly against Yao's cheek.

Clearly disgusted, Wang Yao struggled against the rope, but realise that even then his body felt numb and dull to the commands in his brain. Something flurry tickles in between his palm as his fist tightens, but he could not see what it is. "Shh shh, don't move, you're not used to this body yet. But the more you use it; it will get better. Do you like it?"

Wang Yao struggled even more and tried to speak but only unintelligible sounds came out from his throat. The man lean in down and stuck into Yao's mouth, he suck and lick, tasting him as he continues to move inside him. Wang Yao tried turn his head to the side, but it was held on tightly and squish open roughly by the man. He almost can't breathe from the intense kiss and was gasping for breath when the man finally leaves his mouth.

'This voice… It's familiar. But where? Where!?' Yao thought.

"You see, I created a female body for you. Do you know why?" the man said, brushing his palms all over Yao's body, or rather in Yao's opinion, it's not even his body. "Because…" the man slow his words, breathing hard, "I have placed a womb in this body. Soon, I'll continue filling this body up, and you will give us our child." He said, caressing Yao's pelvic area. "Don't worry, you'll be okay, I won't let anything happen to you."

'T-This man.. this man is crazy!' Yao thought. 'Is this a dream? Please wake up, please wake up. This dream is too scary.' He shut his eyes tightly and prayed.

The next time he opens his eyes, he found Ivan's face staring back at him. The residue fear caused him to push Ivan away, he took huge gaping breath and look at his hands, his body and his surroundings. He look back at his bed and found it soaked in his sweat.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Ivan asked. "You are mumbling in your sleep and breaking out in cold sweat."

Looking at the thing lying in between his palm, Wang Yao saw that it is a long red string, crumpled into a messy ball. After the initial shock, Yao look back at Ivan, regaining his breath. "I had a bad dream.. It was weird and gross."

"What was it about?"

Wang Yao knit his brow, thinking. "I… I.. Can't recall."

"That's okay, it's better to not remember something bad." Ivan said thoughtfully. "Come on, get up, I'll get the person to change the sheets and we can go get our breakfast."

"Okay." Yao replied absentmindedly, eyes still at the red string. 'This is really weird.' He thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dead man's blues C6**

**Hi Ilich and Guest, thank you for your reviews and support. And particular thanks to Guest, sorry for the wait, was a little busy for the past 1month. **

**FF don't really allow any announcements or anything, so I would be updating my status and plans for writing on my profile page. **

**A/N: 3 years ago, I would have never thought that I would be writing this story.**

* * *

"So… How do we get into this elusive library you are talking about again?" Ivan asked, as he stare into an empty spot after following Yao for ages. They have woken up even before dawn have broken, Ivan was surprised that Yao managed to wake up that early with that little sleep even after all that alcohol the day before. That said, Ivan notices that Yao kept starting at this red string in his palm.

"What's that?" Ivan asked, edging in closer to Yao.

"It's nothing." Yao quickly said, shoving the long, tangled red strings into his pocket. Then letting out a breath of air to refresh and restart himself, he look around the empty spot with Ivan by his side. They have walked a long way after getting out of the south gate of the city, the road to where they are was initially covered in graveyards with beautifully constructed tombstones, statues of weeping angels and angels playing harp stood over the silent tomb. Then slowly, the tombs change, getting progressively shabbier as they continued on, until they reach sites of mass grave after another. The path abruptly ended with a dense forest and just when Ivan was wondering what they should do next, Yao push apart the branches and continued his way in. And after a not so short distance later, they arrived at their current spot, a round space in the middle of a dense forest.

"The library is maintained like how the academy we were stuck in is, they are concealed and surrounded by impenetrable magic, the only way in is through magic. However, as the information contained in this library is highly confidential, anyone without a form of identification piece with them and tried teleporting in will be destructed immediately. Like, kebaboom. They set a mechanism that will blow a person up, no questions asked."

Ivan stare at him wide eyed. "So..?"

"So.. The usual, I am Arthur Kirkland and you're my assistant." Yao explains, then he rummage through his bag. It took quite a while as it seems to have located pretty deeply inside the bag, but he eventually pulled out a little leather bag. "This thing will keep us safe."

"What's that?" Ivan asked, curious.

"A gift from my dear friend."

"Who's that?"

"Now, let us visit the library." Yao announced, obviously ignoring Ivan. He held out his hand for Ivan, waiting for him to hold his hands. "Hold it. I will start the process now." Ivan did as he was instructed. "Close your eyes, Ivan." And he did.

Ivan could hear Yao mumbling an incantation, he took a little sneak peek at the man beside him, and suddenly the sharp blinding green light coming out from the leather bag in his other hand shines so bright Ivan quickly closes his eyes, but he felt like he could already see stars.

"You can open your eyes now." Ivan heard Yao said. When he did, they are in a very different place. Human like figures dressed in long, dark purple hoods were floating around with books, and when one of them was alerted of the two's presence, it's head turn, but there was nothing present inside the hood where there should be a head. Instead, a fuzzy black mass that moves constantly like statics can be seen against the purple hood. It quickly turn its head back to the shelf and took down a book from the top shelf and disappear between the shelves.

Ivan pulled down his black hood and look back at Yao. "Are those-.."

"Shh Shh Shh, you have to be quiet here, the high mages here doesn't like commotions. I'll get the books I need, and we then we can go to a place where we can be alone." Yao explains in extremely low whisper, but even then, it is still too loud, as another hooded figure turn to look at Yao. Letting out a grimace, Yao sling his arms around Ivan and move though the shelves. The shelves are all constructed in intricate wood, and as Yao pulled him through the lane, it didn't seem like this library is all that special, that is until Yao suddenly turn right in between one of the shelves and all the way to the end, Ivan realise that this is not the only floor of the library. They reach the edge of the railing, and Ivan look up and down, there's so much floors that Ivan can't see the ceiling nor the bottom floor.

"What is this place?" Ivan whispered urgently towards Yao.

"It's the library." Yao whispered back, ending off with more shushing. He quickly pulled Ivan again, walking by the railings this time, the shelves ended with a corridor, rows of doors laid on the wall, each shining a bright red "OCCUPIED". Yao continued walking and stop at one that shine a bright green "VACANT, he took out leather pouch in his palm again. Then with another hand, he tug on Ivan's hands to place it by his waist. Ivan turn to him in shock. With that same hand, Yao placed it by the door and whispered: "Close your fingers, cross your eyes, I seek to make this room of space mine." The surface of the door seem to turn into water, and it sucked both Ivan and Yao into it.

"Woah, what happened." Ivan muttered before being pulled along with Yao.

Ivan's feet tripped from the momentum, and he let out a gasp. Yao turn around to check on him, the series of movement happened within seconds and the next moment, Wang Yao found himself lying underneath Ivan. Slowly Yao looked up to the vampire's face only to find him giving him a strange look.

"W-Why are you staring at me like that?" Yao stuttered out, partially affected by the intense pounding in his chest. The fist holding onto the leather pouch tightened, and he dig his fist into his chest to still the beating heart. Unbeknownst to him, his face is cherry red all the way to his ears and Ivan is taking in every single tiny bit of expression on it.

Slowly, Ivan's face inch in closer. Yao's eyes widen as he saw the face coming in closer and closer, and though his brain is screaming for him to get away, his body seemed to stop registering the brain's command. Ivan place his lips onto Yao's, but Ivan did not close his eyes, instead his eyes glance to meet Yao's surprised ones. Soft gentle and warm breath caressed his cold skin, the earthly desires amplified by his undead nature seize him. Ivan wishes with all his heart for the chance to deepen this kiss, but he have already taken a huge risk making a move like this. He pull their lips apart and look into Yao's eyes for answers.

"Do you hate it?" he asked, unsure of the answer he found in Yao's eyes.

"I.." Yao stuttered out, lightly furrowing his brows, and darting his eyes away from Ivan's face. The respite from Ivan's face calmed him enough for him to form a full sentence to Ivan's question: "W-Why did you do that?" He can already feel his face burning into a fever.

"Have you ever looked at someone and hope they stay in your life forever?"

Yao's eyes darted back at Ivan when he said that.

"Because that's what I feel when I saw your smile."

Wang Yao lift up his arms to hide his face. "You can't say words like that carelessly."

Ivan pry Yao's arms apart by the wrist and pin them down by the side. "I didn't. I meant every single one of the words I have said, as cheesy as they sound. If you hate it, you can just say it straight to my face and I would stop. But please.. let me stay beside you." He begged, he can feel Yao's pulse in his palm, and its fast. He wonders if it's because Yao is afraid of him, or perhaps, his heart can allow him that bit of a hope that it meant something else.

"I..I don't hate it." Yao whispered under his breath. It is not something he is accustomed to, openly announcing and displaying his affection to anyone. It's not in his blood, nor was it in his culture back home, but he felt the need to clarify. "You do have to know though, you're a vampire. Are you sure it's wise to hang out with a mortal like me, I will die in the end and I will make you cry."

"You said that the blues from a dead man will cure me of vampirism. You know I'd give up forever just to be by your side, I'll bleed just to know I'm alive. My words are not carelessly spoken, they are words I held in my heart before I even woke up. I am very sure I lived for all these years just to be with you at the end." Ivan replied, giving Yao the same old puppy look again.

"You're ridiculous." Yao uttered, there was nothing but a kind of helpless, fond exasperation to Ivan's heartfelt confession. "Get off me. I have to find more information about the blues." Ivan moved as he was told and sat on the carpeted floor meekly, he was beaming from ear to ear. If his eyes and heart was once filled with void from years of living, they are now replaced with a soft and genuine sense of happiness. He look at Yao, all flushed and awkward, and scrambling to move the topic away.

"I'll be.. going out. The library is huge and researching and reading can take quite a long time so we will be staying here for at least a few days, there's.. a bed over there where you can lie on if you're tired." Yao pointed to a bed with snow white sheets and duvet at the corner of the room, but when his eyes are casted on them, he suddenly remember that this was a room meant for one, so naturally the bed is a single bed comfortable enough for one, but pretty squeezy for two, and with Ivan's size….

"But I want to go out with you." Ivan whined.

"It's going to be boring though." Yao explains, then on second thought, he reasoned that leaving Ivan alone in an empty room with nothing to do would bore him too. "Hmm… Fine, come with me. Maybe you can help me find some books too. Let's go."

Yao led him of the room after they let down their stuff. Halfway through, Yao decided to grab Ivan by his wrist through the shelves of books. Purple hoods turn in their general direction whenever they pass by, each surprised to see an outsider walking though this sacred library this casually. Wang Yao stop occasionally to flip through books at certain sections, and if deemed satisfactory, holds it in its arms and move on. At a certain point, Ivan caught a glimpse of a soot black books with beautiful golden letters and patterns, the title of the book reads: "Sorcery and Enchantment: Detailed explanation and case studies". It looks pretty interesting to him and he swipe it off the shelves before Yao decides to move on. When Yao is finally done, there are about 10 books, mostly thick and tattered, bound in leather from animals from the years long gone, with enchantments broken by the various owners of the books. The duo went back to their room and they let it all down on the carpeted floor with a loud thud.

"I don't remember taking this." Yao mumbled as he picks up the book Ivan have taken.

"I took it. I wanted to read about it." Ivan replied. "It looks interesting."

"These are some high-level spells and enchantment nobody can wield; besides, the academy seems to ban the use of these spells, look at this side of the tip covered with red paper. This means that this book can only be used for reference purposes." Yao commented as he flip to the first few pages of the book. Sure enough, Ivan noticed that at one of the corners of the book, a red piece of paper folded to fit the corner was fitted in.

"Sounds fun." Ivan chirped, and went over and took the book from Yao.

Yao gave him a weird look and went back to his own books, "Well, you can have fun with that. I'll just be here."

"Alright!" Ivan said as he started flipping pass the first page of the book. The pages are slightly yellowed, with little brown aged spots here and there. The book started straight with a content page with the various spell names and enchantment names, one of them caught Ivan's interest and he immediately flipped to that page.

"_The Calling Gifts." _The title of the chapters reads.

"_The Calling Gifts is a ritual created for the unrequited and the obsessed. When a being have a strong enough emotion towards another, they can use this ritual to bring the soul of their target closer to them. It is a ritual where the fruits of devotion and loathing can be reaped from various gifts if one follow the steps as dictated. We will also look at the various case studies of this ritual being used, whether partially or fully. There are three main parts to this ritual: the vessel, the gifts and the calling. Then follow by the sub parts of the ritual: creation of the vessel, the entanglement of the gifts, the light draw and the deep draw. _

_Brief introduction of how the ritual works: Create a vessel that can be used to contain a soul, it have to be versatile enough so that the soul can move the vessel. To bring the soul into this vessel you have created, you have to provide gifts to invite the soul over, the gifts have to be given untainted, so the gifts must be given from the initiator's hands onto the target's hands the moment the item is decided upon as the chosen gift. For targets that are far away from the initiator, there is a way as discovered, to provide the gifts as well, which will be touched on more in details later. Once the gift are accepted by the target, the initiator can then 'call' for the souls, drawing them into the vessel."_

"This is really interesting" Ivan commented, interest triggered by this series of steps narrated over in this book he randomly picked up. He look over to Yao, wanting to share what he have read, but pouted in his findings. The black ponytail swish from shoulder to shoulder, and hands scribbling fast and furious away onto his little notebook with what his darting eyes can catch. Ivan turn back to his book and slump back against the pillows, not wanting to disturb Yao.

"_The Vessel: Initiator should first decide on the shape of the vessel before anything else as the outline of a vessel can be anything the initiator wants; however, it is highly recommended to provide limbs and suitable breathing holes. Initiators do not need to worry about the internal organs needed for living, think of the ritual as a wooden block that imprint one thing into another. Then, think of the soul as water, and the vessel is a container to contain them. As the initiator draws their target's soul in, their internal organs get imprinted with the ritual and gets drawn into the vessel with their soul. As it fills into the vessel, the organs will fill in whatever space they originally held, else, it would get shifted in accordance to the availability of spaces in the vessel. _

_Creation of the vessel: There are various ways to create a vessel suitable enough to contains a soul, and the commonly used materials are rubber, tins, and even porcelain. The country of Xeshejan created their legendary regiment with iron and steel. During the process of making the vessel, part of the target must be mixed into the material, it can be something as simple as a single strand of hair or a piece of nail or drops of blood, to something more complicated like the flesh or internal organs of the target. The vessel created must be hollow inside and layer of materials throughout the whole vessel must be mostly consistent…" _

Ivan let out a stretch and yawn, and he shifted comfortable to his side still holding the book. The rest of the explanations gets draggy and went on in details and case studies on the creation of the so-called vessel. Ivan's eyes scan through the paragraphs, reading only parts that interest him.

"_The Gifts: Items that hold emotional values needs to be chosen to be gifted, they can be items that holds sentimental value or items that evoke intense feelings in the initiator's or the target's heart. This will serve as an invitation that invites that soul and makes it easier for the initiator to draw them into the vessel. Now one might think that the gifts are the unnecessary part of the ritual as the ritual would work fine without this, a case study that will be touched on later will provide the reason why the gifts are in fact, necessary. These gifts must be accepted by the target, and by accepting means that it was passed through their hands without the notion of rejection by the target. _

_Entanglement of the gifts: It was discovered in the by an Eastern wizard, Sun Zan (205BC), that one can entangle gifts should the initiator wishes to take a step further with the target, the gifts given needs to be as follows: heirloom, wedding accessories, and red string. Then each gift given after will strengthen the bonds between the initiator and target, making the drawing process easier."_

"Hmm.. Red strings.." Ivan mumbled under his breath as he read through that line, thinking back to that tangled ball of red string in between Yao's fingers.

"… _In the eastern side of the world, wizards specialise in changing fate uses red threads to control one's fate and gifting red strings in this case have the same purpose of connecting the initiator and the target to another level…."_

"Maybe Yao wants to tie us together with the red strings." Ivan let out a squeal unbefitting a man his size.

Ivan continued to scan through the whole bunch of text detailing the gifting process. _"….. If the ritual is intended to bring a target from afar, a rare form of teleportation can be used where the gifts can be teleported through a connected vessel to a target's body. The process is known to be painful for the recipient of this teleportation…."_

"That's nasty." Ivan commented, knitting his brow in slight disgust.

"_The Calling: The last step of the ritual involves the recitation of the incantation that will be stated later on. Initiator must first imagine the target's looks and after calling out to the full name of the target, recite the incantation and wait. The target's main body must fall into a sleeping state for the soul to be free to be drawn into the vessel. The draw can be categorized into three types, incomplete draw, light draw and deep draw. Incomplete draw are draws where the soul only managed to get linger in the vessel and unable to be locked down by the vessel. This means that the attempt is not strong enough, gifting must be done more often, but it can also mean that the target have a strong emotional attachment to its body. The target will wake up as per normal with no recollection of the drawing process. Incomplete draws indicates failure of the ritual. _

_Light draw are draws where the soul get locks down by the vessel and target becomes fully conscious. They should be able to move with the vessel and experience the world around them with this body. However, light draws only allow the soul to be locked for 1 to a maximum of 3 days, and upon sleeping, the grip the vessel have of the soul will slowly loosen until finally their souls will be released back to their original body. _

_Deep draws are draws where the soul gets stuck permanently inside the vessel. They will be fully conscious, able to move and experience the world as though the vessel became their new body. No matter how much they sleep, they will not be able to go back to their original body. This can happen for various reasons, but the a few of main causes of deep draws are the death of the original body, where the heart stops beating or when a strong biological bond is form when the soul is using the vessel."_

Ivan blinks, he can see almost see double of the words, as it blurs with his sleepiness. He let out another yawn again, stretching out his back and feet like a lazy cat rolling on soft beds on a raining day. Nothing is better with something this nasty as a bedtime story, Ivan thought. He look over at Yao and still finds him scribbling away. Then he turned back to his book again, quick flips and scan settled the rest of this strange ritual. Flipping the book back to its content page, Ivan settled for another strange sounding ritual: The Baptism of Flesh. Ivan quickly flip to the stipulated page.

"_The Baptism of Flesh is said to be a curse and a blessing, depending on the initiator's intention. It is a ritual that will turn any intended materials into living flesh, but the material needed to have a form that can maintain the living flesh, else the flesh would die the moment it is transformed, the initiator must have also have sufficient mana base and magic power to aid the transformation process, else there would be disastrous consequences which will be touched on more with a case study. That being said, it is a relatively simple spell that involves combining the lifeforce of the initiator with the materials, and involves two parts: creating a suitable form and creating a suitable mixture of concoction for the form to absorb…" _

"This shall do for today." Yao concluded. "I should get some food and take a rest." He turn towards the bed in the corner, wondering why Ivan is so quiet throughout the process, and he let out a smile. The duvet covering Ivan's body moves up and down with his light breathing, the awkward position Ivan fell asleep in did not hinder his sleep at all. Wang Yao walks over to where Ivan is and slowly take the book away from Ivan's fingers, he turn off the lights and crawl into the bed and snuggle into Ivan's chest and arms. Ivan's body is not warm at all, but because of the thick clothing he wears, its not that cold either. It's his first-time observing Ivan's sleeping face so carefully. Underneath these eyelids are a beautiful pair of purple eyes that only know how to look sad and invoke my pity, guarded so lightly and carefully by these long fluttering eye lashes, Yao thought. And with such good-looking facial features, I can safely bet that if not for fact that he's a vampire, there would be tons of girls going after him and he would get married with the most beautiful and virtuous one, then he would have lots of little kids, and then they would all live happily …..ever.. Yao's thoughts trailed off with a baffling jealous fit, and he felt somewhat bitter at the thought that Ivan would be married happily with some other girl. He subconsciously wrapped his arms around Ivan's chest and hugged it tight, as though he was afraid that Ivan might really go off and marry another lady if he just let go. Wang Yao closed his eyes, his head on Ivan's shoulder, and on that same comfortable shoulder, he drifted off to sleep.

The next time he regain consciousness, he felt warm, he felt hand slowly and lightly caressing the back of his head tenderly, fingers brushing the long strands of hair away from his face, and every action so filled with love that Yao smile before he even open his eyes. When he open his eyes and look up, his face changed. The man beside him is not Ivan.

"Who are you!" he shouted, but his voice does not sound like his. He broke apart of the man and put some distance between them, but the lower part of his body, at a certain area internally, hurts badly. "Argh.." he let out, he pulled the blanket apart and look at the space between his thigh and found the mattress spotted with brown and red. He look back at the man lying on his side, dressed in an old fashion looking grey kimono, still observing him, still smiling gently.

The man's youthful looking face betray his taste in fashion, the familiar short black hair with fringe covering his forehead, candle's lights that flicker in that pair of deadpan eyes. Wang Yao's face change again, this time with the realisation that it's the same man that both he and Ivan have encountered before they left the Crossroads.

"It's you."

The man's smiling face change to an amused one, and finally he said something: "Do you? Who am I?"

"You're that man from Crossroad. What do you want? What have you done to me?" Yao growled, trying to move further away from this man, a rattling sound fill the space between them, and Yao could feel the chain clamping down one of his leg is held to somewhere nearby.

The man held up two of his index fingers and made a cross with it. "That's the wrong answer, my love. And that means you need to be punished." The man inch in closer in a matter of split seconds and held Yao down with both of his arms by the side. Wang Yao look up to the man, funny how the same position with Ivan didn't strike as much fear and anxiety as it did with this man.

Move, Wang Yao, MOVE!, he thought violently, but his body is frozen with fear. There's something inherently scary about this man, and beneath that quiet demeanour is a monster that can tear anyone it wants to apart.

The man lean downwards, Yao move his head to the side, and closed his eyes shut. His breathing is shallow and hitch, and he knows that the man in front of him must be getting a thrill out of making a mockery of him. The man move close to his ear and whispers: "My name is Kiku Honda, we met 14 years ago on that snowy evening. Do you remember me?". The man follow up with a nip on Wang Yao's neck, the sharp pain startled Yao and he turn his head back to look at the man in disgust.

"I DON'T." Yao shouted, struggling his wrist free from Kiku's grip. "Let me go please." He begged.

Wang Yao was not expecting Kiku to stop, but he did, the grip on both of his wrist disappear. Kiku moved aside and sat there quietly, the smile on his face disappear and he look as though he is upset. Wang Yao push himself up and look at him, then he look around to observe the room. They look like they are in a living room in a house built from wood, the space around them is filled with piled up scrolls and books, the smell of incense and candles in the air. The wooden sliding door is wide open, overlooking a garden bathed in moonlight. A large, square wooden table nearby them, in it, a rattan basket filled with a few oranges. It's actually a pretty nice and cosy place, Yao thought, if not for the fact he was taken here against his will.

"I met and lost my wife 14 years ago. I remember that I decided to take a stroll to the city that snowy evening, and I got lost. 'Where did you come from?' She said. It was so cold that I could feel it in my bones. 'Come with me, I'll warm you up.' She said again. I went to her house, she had 2 siblings, their father and mother was always away so she always took care of them. I stayed with them, and we were happy. The day comes when I need to be back home, to take over the mantle of the family crest, but it's not going to be easy. I told her that I will come back for her once I took over, and she said yes. But our love can't run away from the fate awaiting us. She was chosen, to be burned in the flames of the purification ceremony for our family. The flames burn on and on, and then she said: 'Thanks for everything up till now, surely we will meet again.' I just really want to see her again and I just want us to have a family together." Kiku narrated, his head is down and teardrops dripping, staining the tatami flooring.

"You.." Yao wanted to retort, but he didn't have the heart to retort a man who just misses his wife. Wang Yao crawled a little closer and said: "A-Are you okay?"

Kiku lifted his head, eyes filled with tears. Then as though ashamed of those tears, wipe them away with the back of his hands. "I'm okay."

"Can you.. tell me why I am here then. And.. why is this related to your wife?" Yao asked gingerly, deeply afraid that it would trigger another bout of depression in Kiku.

Kiku sniff, and smile. Then he pull the kimono on Yao apart and said: "The body have chosen you. Please fulfil my wish of having a family with my wife." Wang Yao look down and was absolutely horrified, turns out, not only his voice was different, his body… is a female body.

"What is this!?" Yao blurted out, as he touch the swell on his chest, he pull the rest of the kimono apart and touch in between his thigh. "What is this!? It's gone. It's… it's gone. Oh god… What have done to me? What have you done to me Kiku?" Yao asked agitatedly, both his hands gripping Kiku's shoulders tightly, shaking it.

"It's my wife's body. And your soul is the one possessing it." Kiku explains. "She is gone forever, but with my magic I am able to preserve her body, and though her body is technically alive, it cannot create a baby unless a soul possesses it."

"Why did you choose me, I believe there are thousands of people in this world, there are girls who would help? Why me? I am a man." Yao complains.

"I don't choose. The body is the one that choose the soul it is compatible with, and … it is rare, or should I say, almost impossible that a soul is compatible with another's body. But maybe fate saw its unjust towards us and left us a way out and chose you to help me. If you are not willing, I can stop. I.. I can.."

Wang Yao mused over his words. The silence in the room was suddenly broken by a soft pitter patter sound from the outside. Kiku sat up straight and look over outside to the garden, he rushes over and closed the sliding doors, a sudden cold breeze slipped in and took the lights away from the candles. The cold send a shiver against Yao's exposed skin, he shudder as he pulls the kimono up on his shoulders. "I'll help you." He finally said.

Kiku turns around in surprised, then a genuine smile that seem to come out from his heart broke across his face. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Yao muttered absentmindedly. "How do you want me to help you?" he continued, turning to direction of the doors, only to find Kiku right behind him, he was startled a little as Kiku immediately pull him into his chest.

"Uh… You're.." Yao started, but realise that Kiku is most probably just treating him like his wife.

"I want you to bear a child with this body, and that means we need to do it together."

"What?" Yao pull apart and look at Kiku in shock. "We..? How.. Oh.. But.. But.."

"This is not your body. You don't have to worry."

"But.. I'll be .. feeling it. Isn't that going to be weird."

"Yes, it would be, but I genuinely hope that you can help me. It's my greatest wish to have a family with her. She might be gone, but if I could just have our child…"

"I-I'll try…" Yao muttered, albeit reluctantly.

"Thank you." Kiku whisper and leaned in close to press his lips on Yao's. "Promise me you won't look into a mirror." He said it against his lips.

"Why?" Yao asked.

"Because you might fall in love with her the way I did."

"Fine, I promise." Yao answered. Kiku deepen the kiss and push him down onto the soft futon. "W-Wait wait wait, are we.. doing it now? I need some time to prepare myself, this is too fast."

Kiku pulls apart and smile gently, "Don't be afraid my wife. I won't hurt you." His kind and soft eyes frighten Yao, it look as though its for me, yet its not.

"I-I am not your wife." Yao corrected.

"Please pretend to be my wife while you are here. It would make me very happy if you do."

"How the hell do I do that, I don't even know how to act like your wife. And.. Are we really doing it now.. I .. don't think I'm ready for it."

"You are acting just like her now. Maybe that's why the body chose you, maybe.. you are just reincarnated from my wife's soul. Either way, I am just happy you are here. Please, just call me your husband."

Though it greatly disturbed Yao that Kiku said that one line about how he was the reincarnate of his wife, he decided to go along with Kiku's wishes since he have already promised to help. "Yes, my husband."

Kikue beamed and hug Yao even tighter. "Y-You're making it hard for me to breath… My.. My husband." Kiku immediately pulls apart and said: "I'm sorry.. My wife."

"Before we .. Do it.. Maybe we can get to know each other? Or maybe you can tell me more about yourself, and your wife? And after we have done it, my soul will be able to go back to my own body, right?" Yao asked.

"No, you have to stay until the baby is conceive and born." Kiku replied, a little agitatedly. "Please. The baby will die if you don't come back regularly."

"What.." Yao blurted out. "Fine, fine, fine.. I already promised you."

Kiku smile, satisfied. He held up both of Yao's hands in between his palm. "I promise to treat you well, please love me again, my wife."

"I will."

"Do you want to hear our story again?"

Yao nodded.

"You are born in respectable family, and even though your family members are all quite well adept in magic, they are all musician at hearts, and they love nothing more than to be surrounded by music. Your grandparents and your parents travelled often to perform, leaving you and your siblings alone to take care of the house. And though life was easy going, you and your siblings are often taunted by surrounding families because your elders are not always around. They tried to bully you and siblings, and although you are always so kind, you are also headstrong. I remember that one time when an older kid tried to take away your groceries, and you fought him, and you know what's the best part? You won, even though you are so much smaller than him. Your brother is very talented, and he wanted to go to the academy, so your parents seek my father to take him under his wings. Do you remember?"

Yao knitted his brow. The story he narrated of his wife…. Sounded strangely like his own. He was born in a quite an esteem family, with a lineage of powerful magic users, though it started waning around his parent, his brother was surprisingly powerful, so strong was his magic that their parents hope that he can get into the academy. Their grandparents and parents are always away due to performance and Yao always have to be the one taking care of his siblings too….

"I do."

"And me. I was just one of the children in a family destined to take over the family mantle and nothing else. Glory and honour above all." Kiku said quietly in response. A soft sigh of resignation slip out between his lips.

One line caught Yao's attention. Glory and honour above all? He thought, that sounds familiar, but he did not think too much into it.

"What's your favourite food?" Yao asked, thinking that Kiku look a little sad, that perhaps talking about his favourite food will make him happier. Kiku look like he was caught off-guard.

"I.. I like dragon's beard candy."

Yao smiled.

"Don't you feel it's childish." Kiku asked.

"No.. You have great taste. I like it too." Yao reassured, subconsciously, he gave a little pat on Kiku's head. Kiku look up at Yao and after a brief moment of eye contact, he pounce on him and roll them onto the futon.

"Ah." Yao let out a startled cry. "What are you doing?"

"Let me hug you. I just want to sleep hugging you tonight, while this body is still warm and breathing." Kiku whine, snuggling his face in between Yao's neck. "Okay, okay. I'll hug you to sleep." Yao comforted, stroking the back of Kiku's head slowly and gently. The way Kiku is acting bring a bout of nostalgia, it reminded him of the times when his brother and sister was afraid in the middle of the night and snuggled on him for comfort. Though Kiku is a little too heavy as compared to his siblings, Yao struggled to pull up the blanket lying by the side and covered it onto them.

He closes his eyes, at least they would be warm and toasty tonight. And right before he lost himself to the sandman, he wonder if Ivan is okay.


	7. Chapter 7

**Dead man's blues C7**

**Hi Ilich and Guest, thank you all once again for your kind reviews, I really like how detailed you guys are with your reviews. And I'm sorry it took so long to churn out a new chapter, but trust me I will continue to updating this story to the end. **

**A/N: This chapter is a little explicit in another nature, hopefully this story is low-profile enough that I don't get threatened to be reported. hahahaa.**

* * *

"Yao.. Yao… Where are you?"

Wang Yao heard mutterings of sobs and whimper. He open up his eyes, pleasantly surprised to see Ivan's head buried onto his chest, but his happiness turns into bewilderment as he notice Ivan's fingers clutching onto his clothing tightly into a ball, his form trembling.

"Ivan. What's wrong?" He asked, stroking Ivan's golden head, comforting him.

"Yao?" a gasp let out, Ivan's trembling stop and his fingers slowly from relief. "I.. I thought you were gone. I can't sense you; I can't sense you at all and no matter how hard I tried waking you up, you did not open your eyes. I was scared." Ivan explains, lifting his head all teary eyed, up to look at Yao.

Wang Yao smiled and cup Ivan's cheeks with his fingers. "I'm just right here am I not? You are thinking too much into it. Don't worry, nothing is wrong, you're probably just feeling the aftermath of staying in this room." Then his fingers lightly pinched Ivan's cheek, it such a short time, but it already feels like ages since he last saw this face that only knows how to act pitiful.

"What about this room?" Ivan asked.

"In addition to being concealed and surrounded by impenetrable magic, what sets this library apart is that, this library is located in another dimension. A dimension where time goes slow, so slowly that pretty much anyone can live forever here. And when we finally goes out, barely a few minutes would have passed. That's how they manage to keep all these old manuscripts and books intact even after all these years. But if a living thing stays in here for too long, their flesh would degenerate into a mass of mana storms, where only a cloak can reveal our original form. But it's a cool place isn't it?" Yao added cheerily.

"Hmpf. The library at my place is much more impressive. We have specimens." Ivan retorted, pouting.

"Yeah, yeah, and who's the one that refused to bring me there." Yao replied, adding a little more strength into his pinch before pulling it back and forth lightly.

"Ouch, that hurts." Ivan whine.

Wang Yao let go. Then he continued: "Well, I'm going to continue with the research. Found a few new interesting rituals before I went to bed that can probably contain the soul before it dissipate."

"Are you sure you're really alright?" Ivan asked as Yao scramble back to his research materials.

"Yeap. Now just leave me be for a while." Yao replied, as he buried his head back into the papers. However, his thoughts did not stay with his research, rather, they linger with the man in his dreams. Or was it really a dream, Yao thought long and hard.

'A dream? Another dimension? Or the current dimension? Either way, that man, Kiku, was it? Either way, he must be very strong to be able to draw my soul out of my body while I'm still alive. Am I really a reincarnate of a woman who died years go? Even then I don't think I will like Kiku in this life, and I think I did him a big enough favour agreeing to … bear a child with that body. Should I tell Ivan about it? Though he probably can't do anything about it.. Ahh, I really don't want to wake up in the other body again, this is so frustrating. What should I do? If only Arthur is still around.' Yao mutter to himself, knitting his brow, obviously distracted.

Ivan observe him out of the corner of his eyes, wondering if he should ask if anything is wrong.

'Glory and honour above all. That's why it sounded so familiar.' Yao's eyes brighten at the sudden realisation, he quickly pull his bag to his lap and fumbled through it, the silvery trinket laid in his palm and he open it once again. The ashen portrait of the lady stares back at him. 'Glory and honour. It's … this trinket. Based on the tarnishing and pattern on this trinket, it's definitely something from our dimension, and something that do look like it's from 14 years ago. This must be his wife, still stand by my words that she doesn't look like a happy bride, then again if I had to be burn in some ceremony, I would not be happy too. Though, it's none of my business nor am I in any position to judge them.' Yao shrugged, then he let out a sigh and continue muttering: 'Someone this powerful draws my soul from my dimension. This is tricky, I thought I could wiggle my way out of this situation by finding some spells to block his draw if he's from another dimension. Ahh… Fine. Just one time, I'll just treat it as being bitten by a dog. It's his wife's body anyway.' Yao finally decided that he should face the issue he create from his reckless promise like a man.

"Yao, are you really okay? You've been muttering to yourself for ages." Ivan called after, putting down his book.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm.. almost done now. Managed to find a way to let the soul linger a little more in this world before they leave." Yao answered.

"That's cool. How do you do that?"

"Do you recall the story of how I heard the soul of the man who played the blues?"

"The one where your grandma died?"

"Yes."

"What about it?"

"Well, my dear Ivan, according to a book over here with all the case studies, souls linger in this world longer than necessary because they died a violent death, and in order to make sure that they don't turn into ghost that haunts the living world, they must not have hatred in its heart. They must be at peace so that they can see the light. So, our chance lies in finding a person who died horribly yet manage to find peace in its heart to play the blues."

"That sounds hard."

"Yeah. No other way. Guess we have to make a trip down to the most dangerous place this world have to offer."

"Where's that?"

"Uskye"

"Eh.. That's really far away, but it's near Wolford though."

"Yes! Perhaps you would like to make a trip home to visit your parents?"

"It's okay, they are most probably still asleep. I won't bring you along even if I do, so you can keep your ideas out of it."

Yao let out a snort, "Even if you invite me, I won't follow, so you can rest assure, what if your parents or siblings decide to make me a vampire too. That would be bad."

"That's true. I can't guarantee they would be as nice as me." Ivan smile knowingly.

"Chey." Yao let out indignantly. "Petty."

Uskye was a huge, prosperous city. Despite being landlocked, it was a fertile land with mountains filled of precious metals, soils and weather that can grow crops with bountiful harvest. It is a place where it is controlled by three major powers: the local government, the freemason guild and the Versathu's brotherhood, the power they wield balance out each other but in recent years, the brotherhood seems to gain the upper hand due to the weakening of the guild and the unrest in the government, they managed to wreak havoc in the city itself, causing a bloodbath in its wake. The brotherhood have claimed that Uskye is a holy land where the saviour of the world will be resurrected and the people living in Uskye are defiling the holy land, the brotherhood will seek to decimate and clean the holy land with the blood of the defilers. Needless to say, it is not a place that people would want to visit unless they have good reasons to nowadays.

"Uh, Ivan. Actually, I have something to confess to you." Yao suddenly spoke, in a serious manner. The two man have just gotten out of the library and was walking on the road when Yao started talking. The seriousness in his tone makes Ivan straighten up and leaned in closer.

"Yes." Ivan answered expectantly.

"You see, I…" Yao knitted his brow, wondering if it is for the best to lie to Ivan, unbeknownst to Yao himself, a seed of guilt is planted deep inside his heart. "I.. have a sleeping disorder that will make me fall asleep for a few days, so if I don't wake up, I am just sleeping. Just thought you should know that.' Yao continued, mumbling the rest of his words off with small awkward laugh.

"I-Is that serious?!" Ivan asked worriedly.

"Yeah, it… runs in my family. Just a little inconvenient for people around me." Yao quickly gave an excuse, silently glad that Ivan buys into this, this way he could quickly settle the issue with that man in his dreams and get back to Ivan and the blues.

"That's okay Yao. Time makes no difference to me." Ivan smiled, patting Yao's back. "I'll wait for you."

"Thanks.." Yao mumble, averting his gaze away from Ivan.

* * *

A loud growl followed by a thud on the floor tears through the serenity of the wooden house, the sound of howling wind and rustling leaves whistle through the cracks. Kiku Honda glares harshly on the body below him, fingers tighten on the cloth underneath them with rage burning through.

"Why." He snarl the question out in an uncompromising tone. "This should have worked; he should be stuck here for at least 3 days. And now all that is left again is this cold body." The anger consume and blinded him, and Kiku stood up and started smashing the furniture in the room. The table crash and the books left crumpled and distorted after being thrown against the wall. The man was left panting, not from the exertion but from trying to hold back the extent of his wrath. Kiku look back at the body lying down, and his fist tightens again. A little murderous urge creep into his heart as he let out a low whisper: "Why do you leave me again and again."

Kiku took a deep breath and turn his head away, he throw his hand to his back, swinging the long sleeves in a single swift and smooth movement. Dejected, he move towards the door leading to the garden and slide it open, the cold night air freezes his face, there, he sat down on the porch and wait, he stare at the well-trimmed grass thinking, thinking of the arms that could hold him, thinking of the lips that could touch his own, maybe Yao would fuss over him like how he used to, or even better, Yao could fuss over him like how he would in the memories that he stole.

Here, Kiku's eyes are lost in its own thoughts, the edge of his lips curl into a small, sweet smile. Here he shall wait, indulging in his own fantasy, until the body in the room open its eyes again.

* * *

"People used to say that the Uskye is city dressed in jewels and gold, fine linen for their kings and queens, myrrh and pearls their offerings. And I guess that's not a joke." Wang Yao held on the handles of his bag on both of his shoulder as he look at the road paved all the way in a long distance to a shiny city. What other city have as dirt path, Uskye have a literal gold path with an iridescent sheen as though the road was polished with pearl powder. The city, although quite a distance away, almost glisten under the cooling sunlight, it was a magnificent feast for the eyes.

"_Ivan…"_

Ivan spun around and find that there is no one behind him, bewildered, he turn towards Yao and ask: "Did you call me?"

"No? But I was talking to you." Yao replied.

Knitting his brow, Ivan then ask again: "Did you hear anyone calling me?"

"Do you even have friends?" Yao commented.

"Hey, Yao. You're mean. I do have friends."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"What."

"You said you have friends, who are they?"

Ivan look stumped, and thought hard, before he answer: "Victor, I have Victor, and.. Natalie and Irina. Yeah, I do have friends."

Yao spun around to look at Ivan. "Where did you meet them?"

"Ehh…" Ivan made a deliberate sound trailing off as he rack his brain to answer Yao. "Near Wolford. My house."

"Your house…. " Yao squint his eyes at Ivan. "Siblings doesn't count as friends."

"WELL!" Ivan blurted out, "We aren't technically siblings by blood, so.. we are still friends."

"No Ivan. Siblings doesn't count as friends." Yao reiterated and continued walking.

"Then… I have you, you're my friend. I do have friend."

"I'm not your friend."

"What.. I thought we were friends. We're supposed to be together forever."

"I didn't say that." Yao retorted teasingly.

Ivan's face crumpled in sadness, and he folded his arms and continued walking, sulking. Wang Yao ignored his childish tantrum and continued: "We'll get a room in an inn as soon as we reach Uskye, we've been travelling for so long I'm beginning to miss sleeping on a bed. Besides, I've heard rumours that the brotherhood is kidnapping people on the streets."

"I'll protect you." Ivan muttered, still sulking.

"Yeah, but we need to sleep. Or rather I need to."

The sun started setting the moment they passed by the gates to Uskye. There are a significant amount of guards just guarding the gates and along the walls, much more than any other cities they have been to. The duo soon settled for the first inn they found as they walk in, it was guarded with fierce looking men armed with heavy weapons. As they are unpacking to rest for the night, Yao suddenly remember the man in his dream, Kiku. He have not thought about that man ever since they set off from the library, he have almost forgotten about it in fact, that is until he saw the golden hairpin in the deepest corner of his bag.

Wang Yao thought long and hard staring at the hairpin, "A promise is a promise and… I don't know when I will be able to fall asleep on a bed again, so talking about convenience, now would be the best time. But we're in Uskye, will Ivan be okay.." he turn around and sneak a glance at the Ivan patting down the pillow and bed, getting ready for bed. Then he thought back to how he held him as they fall into the sea. "He'll be okay."

"Yao, the bed is ready, let's sleep." Ivan said cheerily on the bed. Then he pat on the space beside him.

"Okay." Wang Yao went over and climb onto the bed with him. "Ivan, if I fall asleep now. I might be asleep for quite some time, will you… be okay?"

"Why?"

"I… I can feel it. Whenever I think I can fall asleep for quite some time, I can feel it." Yao lied.

Ivan mused a little, looking a little dejected, then he ask: "Will you wake up?"

"Of course, I will, I'm not dead."

Then, Ivan broke into a gentle smile and nodded, "I'll be okay."

Smiling back, Yao gave a little ruffle on Ivan's hair. "Go to sleep. I'm sleeping now."

Yao close his eyes tightly, thinking about Kiku, he focus his thoughts on that beautiful, serene wooden house and how much he wishes to live there and fall asleep. He recalled Kiku did say that all he have to do is think of him and his soul would slip into that body.

The next time Wang Yao opens his eyes, he was a little annoyed that it works. He stare at the ceiling criss-cross with wood, the dim atmosphere and incense smell is all too familiar yet still quite unfamiliar. He turn to his sides and realise that Kiku is nowhere to be found. "That's surprising. Can't say I'm not glad." Wang Yao let out a little sigh and sat up, he found his back sore from lying on something so soft for so long and let out a stretch. It is raining outside again, and the cold made Yao crave for something warm to fill his empty stomach, and maybe take a hot bath to perk himself up. He crawls up to explore the house a little, it is a considerably tidy place despite all the old, weird books lying in piles all around the room, slowly and carefully, he walked over the books and towards one of the wall where a large sliding is shut tight. Wang Yao lightly slide it opens to find it opens up to a long, dark corridor and also a stair. Gingerly, he slip pass the door to walk down the corridor, it is dark, but the dim lights at the end of the room spilling with steam guided Yao to the end. It's a large bathroom with a huge in-built bathtub that can hold at least 10 people, and its currently steaming with comfortable heat. Gleefully, Wang Yao slip into the bathroom, closing the door behind him, taking off his meagre clothing, he soap and wash himself up with the water at the side.

"Well, I guess this is some experience. It's not every day anyone gets to live as the opposite sex." Wang Yao blush, trying not to look down as he rub the soap over his body and chest. "Please forgive me, oh merciful lady, even though I'm borrowing your body with your husband's permission, trust me that I'm not a pervert, I'm just trying to take a bath. I hope you don't mind in the afterlife. Thank you."

Finally done, Wang Yao touches the water in the tub with his feet, it's soothing. Then, he slip his whole body into the waters. The comfortable heat reaches into every nook and cranny of his body and take away with them the stress and worries, relaxing him. Yao took a deep breath and sigh, "This is so good."

It's not too long when the water revived slow moving blood circulation and Yao realises that he is famished. "I wonder if.. there's a kitchen here." Yao wonder, and he decided to get out of the bath and explore even more. Letting his hair dry in this weather will be too much to ask for, with his years of experience having such long hair, so Wang Yao sat there and rub the towel against his hair as much as possible.

"This is such beautiful, long set of hair, it's nice to even own it for a while." Yao commented as he brushes the hair through, admiring it.

Quickly, he slip out of the bathroom again and slide the wooden door opposite of the bathroom. Peering into the room, Wang Yao found the kitchen, it's dark but he could vaguely make out the stove and pots. There's a few lanterns with candles inside and just as Wang Yao walks in wondering where the matches are, the candles lighted up themselves, luminating the whole kitchen in bright lights.

"Okay…. That kind of creeped me out but, that's convenient. This Kiku guy…. Better not cross with him." Yao mumbled, "Look at this." Yao's eyes brighten as he saw flour, eggs and vegetables. "It'll be great if there's some meat but, I guess these will do. I'm going to make some dumplings in soup. That would be great in this weather."

As he was kneading the dough, cutting the vegetables, and wondering if he should make some for Kiku, a figure stood in the dark corridor looking in. Wang Yao didn't notice it at first, absorbed with the intention to finish cooking his food, but when he did, he dropped the knife and it narrowly missed his feet.

"Oh my god, you can't just stand there without making a sound." Yao held his chest, calming that startled heart. After a moment, Wang Yao notice that Kiku is dripping wet, the water soaked his clothes and hair, water droplet cling into his face and skin. He look sad and tired.

"H-Have you been running in the rain. Why you are so wet?" Yao exclaimed, and quickly rushes over, he grab Kiku by his wrist and pull him into the bathroom. "You'll catch a cold if you continue standing there. How old are you to be this reckless? How long have you been in the rain to be this wet?" Yao drone on and on as he took a towel and wipe his face and hair.

"Take this and go and take a bath. Food will be ready soon. Go, go." He rushes Kiku and turn around. Just then, Kiku grabbed Yao's wrist, "What?" Yao asked.

"I miss you."

Yao was caught off guard and was struggling to find some words, Kiku continued: "Come, take a bath with me."

"No. I already took one. I.. I'll continue cooking the food." Yao muttered, and tried to leave. But the grip on his wrist tighten, and Yao look back at Kiku, and the man's eyes, cold and fixing, bore holes into his thoughts, as though looking right through him, pass the façade of this body he is possessing.

"Come here." The words, cold and demanding. The sirens inside his brain blare the flight responses, but the slight, almost unnoticeable tremble in his next word convince Yao otherwise.

"Please."

Wang Yao edge in closer to the man in front of him. With a petite body that is almost half a head shorter than Kiku, he was embraced by him and was lying right on his shoulder. Kiku's cold, wet skin send a shudder down his spine, he pull them apart slightly and gave a soft, kiss on Yao's forehead, it lingers for a short while, before he gave another kiss at the tip of Yao's nose, it lingers for a while, and he gave another kiss on Yao's lips, but it didn't move away. Kiku's lips pry him apart, and he slip his tongue into Yao's mouth.

'_Ah… This is ultimately inevitable, isn't it? I'll just.. have to suck it up and get it done in one go.' _Yao silently thought, standing still and trying his best to keep up with Kiku.

Wang Yao's light clothing was pull down in a split second, and he is standing naked with a man with clothes clinging onto his skin, where his arousal was even more obvious. Kiku snake his cold arms around Yao's waist, pressing, rubbing his hardness and trailing his breath against his skin, tasting it.

"Will it be better if we… go back.. on that place. It's softer and easier?" Yao asked, face red from the embarrassment.

"Sure." Kiku whisper, and with a swoop, he carried the body bridal style and back onto the futon. And it was then Yao regretted it, for if Kiku was soft and gentle then, he was rough and overbearing now. The air have dried Kiku's skin by now, but his hair is still dripping wet, the cold droplets drip onto Yao's face as their kiss was deepened, suddenly, Kiku clutch onto Yao's chest, startling him. Wang Yao grab the wrist that is clutching, trying to pry his fingers free. Kiku move between Yao's legs, and started probing, it's not long before he pushes pass into the body. The sensation is a new one for Yao, and though he expected this foreign object inside him, it caught him off guard and he let out an accidental moan from Kiku's actions. His head pulls away from Kiku's lips burning with shame, he hide his face with his arms, only to be pull apart by the man on top.

"Don't hide anything you felt, please. Let me see the expression this face can make, let me hear the sound with this voice. Let me feel how this body taste like." Kiku breath as he stare down on Yao, the lump on his throat moves up and down in thirst, then he fasten his pace and latch his lips onto the body again.

"You're so overbearing." Yao commented, but still follow suit. He silently thank god that the face staring down at him is quite beautiful now that he is looking at it so closely. Although Kiku rarely smiles, and look deadpan half the time, he do have a pretty and soft boyish face that's quite endearing.

The act lasted for a while, finally reaching the climax where Kiku poured himself into the body that Yao is possessing. The whites came gushing out, leaving a trail, staining the futon. As the two panting figures pull apart, Kiku look between the body and smile: "It's beautiful."

Wang Yao closes his legs in self-consciousness and curl on his side, "You're a pervert. You look so decent but you're really a pervert."

Kiku sat there not retorting. Then he pulls up the thick blanket and covered the body. He lean downwards and gave a peck on Yao's cheek whispering: "You must be hungry. Take a rest, I'll make some food for us."

"So that's how.. females felt when… they do it with a man. That felt weird." Yao muttered, recalling the act. "It definitely felt different… when a man do it with a man.." Wang Yao's face turn ashen, when he thinks back much further, back to that moment when he was murdered. Though he still gets panic attack every now and then from that traumatic event, the feeling no longer scares him, for he force himself to think about it every day, about every excruciating details the murderer did to him and his grandmother, he kept thinking about it day after day until it becomes trivial, until it become something he could talk about as casually as the weather.

"Food's ready, my love." Wang Yao heard, then he felt a soft pressure on the blanket. He turn around and find Kiku in a formal sitting position, placing his hands onto the blanket, his serious, deadpan look is tinted with concern.

"Your hair is very wet." Yao can't resist commenting the moment he saw Kiku's hair still dripping onto his freshly change clothes. "And that's fast. And quiet." He said, when he realise two full set of meal is placed on the wooden table nearby.

"Let's eat." Kiku said.

"Wait." Yao replied, grabbing his shoulder, then turning him around. "You will catch a cold if you leave it like this." Yao grab the towel hanging on Kiku's shoulder and started drying it for him.

"Do you always leave your hair dripping wet like this after you've taken a bath?" Yao started nagging, which he can't really resist even though he know it's annoying.

Kiku nodded.

"I know your wife is gone. But if you can't even take care of yourself properly, how are you going to take care of a child in the future."

Kiku kept quiet.

Wang Yao felt bad, he might not be some expert, but he did help to take care of his brothers and sister before. "I'll help you, but you have to learn okay?"

Kiku nodded again.

"All done. Let's eat. I'm starving."

The spread on the table is exquisite. There's a load of sashimi of different cuts and species on a rather large plate, decorated by shiso leaves and shredded radish, then there's a big bowl of piping hot miso soup with salmon bits in it. Fried prawn and vegetables tempura, and a plate of stir fry meat. It's a rather lovely meal and Yao, knowing he is a glutton is already drooling from the sight of it.

He quickly digs in with a bowl of rice, face filled with the kind of happiness that you only get when you are eating something delicious. "This is too good. I didn't know you can cook so well." Yao said.

"I didn't cook these."

"Eh? How did you get these then?"

Kiku let out a small smile. Though it look a little cheeky in Yao's opinion. "I have my ways. I'm just glad they are to your liking."

"It's more than to my liking. I love it. Having good food to eat is the best. It would be even better if there's some blues."

Kiku look up at him and then said: "I don't know how to play the blues. I can play shamisen. If you don't mind."

"Shamisen." Yao trailed off. "You're from that village. I should have guessed it from that name. That's nice, I have heard that Shamisen can derive powers from nature, is that true?"

"Sure."

"Show me then." Yao's eyes brighten.

"Anything for you." Kiku smile, he gets up and from the corner of a room, pulls out a shamisen and settled down in front of Yao. He places the Shamisen across his body, tuning it from the knob at the top. Then with cue, the right hand's fingers pressing the strings moved together with the strumming of the strings at the Shamisen body with a bachi. The sound came out, nuances of sounds in high tinkling pitches fills the air. Kiku's fingers moved nimbly, up and down, and the rhythm of the tempo just as swift and pleasing as the movements of his body. It plays a powerful piece of music, like the strength of the waves crashing through the shore of a rocky mountain.

Translucent green vines with thorns like claws started creeping out from in between the fingers of Kiku, it scratches his skin and continued to pour out, covering his thigh and then surrounding the whole room with them. Then the music slows and moves to the next part of the song, the vines started sprouting long slender red buds, where it suddenly burst into a series of vermilion spider lilies. The floor is bath in a sea of soft glowing but ominous red, the room seems to darken in contrast, the sound of a river can be heard in a distant.

Wang Yao knitted his brow. There is a sort of calm in the music now, but they are already in hell. As the last slow note being strum by the bachi disappears in the air, the illusion of the flowers and vines vanish along with it, turning into fine powdery dust and then into nothing.

Kiku let out a sigh and then towards Yao, and Yao smile and started clapping. "That was beautiful. But pretty morbid."

"How so?" Kiku asked, tilting his head a little.

"It felt.. As though we are in hell." Yao suggested.

Kiku look amused. "If you can stroll along the Sanzu River in hopes of getting another glimpse of your loved ones. Maybe Hell is not be as morbid as you think."

Wang Yao went quiet. He is sure that his own grandmother is not in Hell. Hell is a place for souls with regrets and grievances, or for souls condemn by heavens. Those stuck in Hell will not be able to reincarnate nor to be one with God. Though that means that Ivan is definitely going to hell if he do die, the thought of that that twist Yao's heart into tight knots.

"I'm sorry for bringing such heavy topic to the dining table. Look at this." Kiku said, and with a swing of sleeves, he continued a new tune, this time, the room seems to shatter into another world. Light blue sky at the top of their heads, thick dark brown trunk that extends out into long thing branches are littered with pale pink cherry blossom. A breeze flew pass, bringing with it the rosiness of the spring and scattering it all around them.

The scenery took Yao's breath away, he have heard of scenes like this before, but he have never seen it with his own eyes. Lost in the moment of the music and flowers, a tear slip out of his eyes as a strong sense of déjà vu hits him, it feels like he have forgotten something important.

"That gave me a very weird feeling." Yao said after the music ended.

"I hope you like it." Kiku said.

"I do."

"There might be a possibility that you will return tonight. Can we perhaps continue working hard to ensure that you can conceive as soon as possible. I can secure an artefact that can decrease the pregnancy period by 3 months, but I have to be sure that you are already pregnant."

"Uh…. That's great to hear. Three months is quite a significant amount of time! But, I don't we should do it again… Not now at least. Don't worry, I think this is really enough, I won't leave tonight I promise. I'll keep thinking of the good food here." Wang Yao quickly retorted, he swallow a mouth of saliva, deeply afraid that it's not enough to convince Kiku. He could still feel the slimy coat of whites every time he shift this pair of thighs.

Kiku's blank face is hard to read.

Yao was looking at him for a reply before Kiku finally said: "Sure." Then Kiku stayed quiet again, looking straight at Yao's face. Without a word, and without another expression.

'_This is awkward. What does this guy do in this boring house all alone. Why is he staring at me? Should I talk? Or should I sleep? God, somebody save me from here.'_ Wang Yao thought internally, as he shove in the last of the food into his mouth, munching away the uneasiness from this silence.

Without any food left for excuse, Yao stretch himself yawning and commented: "This is such a good meal, I should bring this to wash in the kitchen."

"That's okay. You don't have to." Kiku said. Lifting his arms with his palm facing the table, a teleportation hole appear the size of an arm's length appear on the table. With another wave with the other hand, all the dishes on the table a swipe right into the hole.

Yao was flabbergasted, his excuse to leave the table disappears along with the hole. Quickly, he blurted out "I think I'm going to the bathroom to wash myself." Then as scrambled out of Kiku's sight.

Sighing, Wang Yao sat on the stool washing his body, pondering how is he going to survive for the next few days. On the outside, Kiku's sodden eyes betrayed his impassive face, for all the power he possess with this body, the price to pay is equally great, and one of them is being forgotten by the very person that saved him from slipping to the other side. The hatred, frustration and resentment simmering in heart is stirred by his recollection of the distant past again and wrapped inside these negative emotions are the fear that nobody will ever love a monster like him.

"I'll be going out for a while. Somebody will come and provide you food while I'm away. You can explore the house if you like, but don't ever go in the room located at the end of the corridor on the second floor."

Yao's is startled once again and turn towards the sliding door. Kiku is looking in and after he said his piece, he walks away.

"Eh.. You're leaving me alone in such a big house. Kiku, hey!" Yao exclaim, as he move quickly to peek his head out of the door. But the man is already long gone.

"What the hell. He really left me alone." Yao grumble, scowling. "I might say that it's awkward, but I didn't say I want to be alone."

The wind blow through the roof again, and the house seems be alive creaking with noises that Yao never seems to notice when Kiku is with him. With his heart beating slightly faster from the uncalled fear, he wash himself up rushes over to the futon, under the safety of the duvet.

* * *

A pair of purple eyes gently cast its worried gaze onto the face of the man lying on the bed, his fingers tenderly stroking its cheek. Ivan have been using this chance while Yao is sleeping to stick really close beside him. It's been three days though, and Ivan is already starting to miss him, even though he is right here.

"You're really pretty. Do you know that?" Ivan said it out loud. "I can't feel your presence at all and it's a little worrying, though you asked me not to. But I miss you. Can you wake up soon? I'm lonely. If you wake up soon, I'll get you another bag of fruit drops with all the red ones. I'll even let you in on how I got them, I bought all the fruits drops in the shop and pick out the red ones. So, if you- "

A loud, firm knock cut Ivan's monologue off. Ivan turn towards the door bewildered, then went on to get it.

"Toris? How do you know I'm here?"

A young man with shoulder-length brown hair and olive eyes look on with an apologetic expression and gave bow.

"Sir and Madam wish for you to be home. At once."

Ivan's breath hitch, his eyes widened in surprise or horror or a mix of both.


	8. Chapter 8

**Dead man's blues C8**

**Hi Ilich and Guest, thank you soooo much for your reviews again. They meant so much to me and I am so sorry I can't thank you two personally. I am so glad you guys enjoyed this. **

**A/N: I've been very busy lately and I had a writer's block for this chapter so the combination of these factors kind of delay this chapter's release. I kind of wrote this half asleep most of the time and despite the fact I did caught a few mistakes and managed to correct them, there might still be some extremely glaring mistake. Sorry for that, please inform me if some sentences doesn't make any sense and thank you. **

* * *

Ivan stare hard at Toris' expectant face, his brain processing the next thing he need to do, the next moment, he slam the door back in Toris' face. Then, Ivan return back to the bed beside Yao. Toris' was annoyed by Ivan's actions and his knocking on the door became louder as he shouted through the door: "Ivan, Ivan! Open up, Sir and Madam have specific instruction to bring you back, you can't close the door and pretend that I'm not here. You know the consequences if you don't go back when they ask of you."

"Shut up." Ivan shouted back at the door. He turn back frowning and begged: "Yao wake up. I don't want to leave you alone." Countless decisions runs through his mind as he took in Toris' words into consideration. He knew the consequences, and as reluctant as he is, he knows he have to go back but..

After a while, he resigns to his fate, Ivan walks back to the door and opens it; he steps aside to let Toris' in. "Ivan. These are the exact words from Madam, I have to reiterate that they are not from me, no hard feelings so here goes: Ivan dearie, have you noticed that you have disobeyed our orders, now you have stray too close to the place you're not supposed to be. Come back, there's an experiment we need to conduct, child."

"Another experiment? Again? They woke up and the first thing they can think of is experimentation. Can't they just do it on the others? There's so many of us." Ivan groaned, annoyance and frustration apparent in his face.

"I don't know anything. I'm just a messenger." Toris replied, shrugging.

"But.. I hate it so much, it hurt so badly. Though that's not the point now." Ivan started, then he glance at Toris, an idea hatch in his brain: "I'll go back, but.. you have to help me with something?"

"I…. Can try? If… Sir and Madam doesn't have any more instructions." Toris said, gingerly.

"Help me take care of this person lying on the bed. I don't know when he will wake up, but I don't want him to find me gone when he do. Help me pass the message that I will be back soon, but he don't have to worry about anything because I'll find him again no matter where he goes to. And no turning him, I'm warning you." Ivan explains, pointing a warning finger at Toris.

"It's a human?" Toris' eyes wandered a little hungrily over to the bed. "Are you saving him for yourself?"

"No! I am not. He's my friend."

Toris' looks back at Ivan with disbelief written all over his face. Then he asked: "Is that the reason why your voice sounds so squeaky? What have you done to them?"

Ivan stare back at Toris, wondering if he should reveal his reason. Slowly, he took down the scarf wrapping around his neck and reveal to Toris a huge gaping hole that reveal the bones and shredded muscles and oesophagus tinge with bright blues, the sight was horrifying but not enough to scare Toris, though the decision to voluntarily do this to themselves to prevent the urge to bite is a strange concept to Toris. He tilted his head, baffled. "Did you.. drink holy water or something..?" he asked, the very obvious, as though to reconfirm that Ivan indeed commit such strange act.

"Yes."

"Okay…." Toris answered, dragging the word as though he is thinking of what to say. "I'll try not to bite him. I'll… put on my teeth retainer, the one that locks if you still don't trust me but just go back with me first. Sir Alexander and Madam Victoria was…. Displeased, to put it very nicely, that you are awake. Anyway, come with me."

"NO!" Ivan blurted out, "What if he wakes up while we are on the way back."

Toris' let out a sigh of resignation. Then wrapping his right palm on top of a lightly closed fist from his left, he close eyes and mumble something. Dark purple lights indicating magic of ominous descent glows from his palm, and then quickly disappears. "I've sent a message for Raivis, he'll come and bring you back to Wolford."

"Actually, I could have gone back myself." Ivan suggested.

"You can't open the gates without magic. You have none." Toris' replied bluntly, though still smiling as politely and awkwardly as ever. He went and sat down on one of the chairs and look at the figure lying on the bed then back at Ivan, then back at the figure again. Toris would be lying if he said that he not curious about what happen, a series of events happened back at the mansion that brought them to this very room. But Toris knows better.

"Ahh, he's ready to come over." Toris replied, he stood up and took out a short sword from his robe and in one swift swing, hack off left arm. Bright blue blood squirt out from the wound, pouring over the severed limb on the floor. The fresh limb quickly shrivelled up, turning black and mummified, vibrating, it started soaking up all the blood on the floor at fast speed, growing in size and mutating in a grotesque manner until a human form is apparent.

A sharp, audible intake of breath is taken in by the human form, the flesh of the form lightens as it slowly push itself up in a sitting position. Toris stood over the body and threw his robe over it, "Get up Raivis. We need to move soon so I need to instruct you real quick."

"Argh… Toris, you need to understand that just because you can, doesn't mean you should do it! You could have just used the portals instead of this ungodly magic! This is the absolute worst." Raivis complains, a boy with short, curly blond hair. He stood up and was even shorter than Toris.

"Well, at least this time round I manage to create one that looks just like you, besides, I don't know whose on the other end of the portal. What if somebody finds out about you being teleported here? Sir and Madam will not be pleased." Toris said, emphasizing on the point at the end.

"You can't just summon me here with this body. Made out of your nasty .. what is it? Arms or legs this time. God, the eyes are not even fully formed yet." Raivis grumbled, rubbing the eyes and blinking, occasionally shaking his head to straighten his focus.

"This body will be incredibly useful to you instead of your vampiric one this time round. Look, there's a human on the bed that you need to guard until Ivan is back… or maybe you could just pass him a message once the human wakes up or something." Toris explains.

Raivis stop moving when he heard the word "Ivan", slowly he turn to the side where Ivan was standing, quiet, this whole time. "IVAN?" Raivis blurted out, as he stumble backwards where he was caught by Toris.

"Yes, it's Ivan."

Raivis turn his head back to Toris in horror. He whispered lowly, in between his teeth: "You never told me it's Ivan. I would never accept it if I knew it's from him."

"That's why I never told you." Toris mouthed.

"You bastard." Raivis mouthed back.

Toris smile deviously in return. Taking a deep breath, he continued: "Anyway, human over there. Just take care of it and pass a message to it once it wakes up. That's all."

"Yeah. Tell him that he could leave and continue on his way, I would find him and catch up to him again. I'm just caught up with some family stuff." Ivan said.

Raivis nodded meekly.

"Keep him safe and no turning him into a vampire."

"As you can see, Sir Ivan. I'm stuck with this vessel made by Toris which will most probably rot away in a few weeks' time. Technically.. I'm stripped of all my abilities as a vampire. So, you can rest assure." Raivis replied, giving a little polite bow.

"That's great isn't it!" Toris announce and concluded for everyone. "Now Ivan, we have to leave soon. Sir and Madam is waiting."

"I owe you one." Toris quietly whisper in Raivis' ear before leaving the room with Ivan, ignoring the killing glare Raivis is giving him. Adding insult to Raivis' injury, Toris wave him goodbye with the newly formed hands.

Ivan took one last glance at Yao before leaving the room with Toris. He don't know how long this trip back would take, there's a strange feeling, a hunch that something is wrong, a gnawing vibe that keeps reminding him that not being able to sense Yao's presence is something that needs his immediate attention. But his trust in Yao is much stronger than this thing he is feeling, and so Ivan decided that he will try his best to go back to Yao's side as soon as possible.

* * *

The bright and beautiful sun beat down on an opulent palace, the soft golden glow emitted from the details baroque architecture is almost glaring to the untrained eyes. Rows of roses and green grasses surround a large, artificial lake in front of the palace, and right in the middle of the lake, an equally impressive fountain with statues of lifelike mermaids around it spurt out strong jets of water, it creates a rainbow under the ray of sun. Internally, it was even more luxuriously decorated, corridors are wide and rooms wide as apartments are abundant. They are all lavishly decorated with big hanging chandeliers adorn with clear crystals of varying sizes, every few feet is a golden statue of angels stands, holding up candles that lights up as you pass by. Ceilings untouched by gold are filled with paintings of Gods and Monsters, old ones that battled Gods for supremacy of the world, and also battles from aeons ago. One story in particular, the story of the girl who was burnt on stake was narrated on the ceiling of a large room overlooking the two men.

"Isn't it such a beautiful day for a drink?" the man with a smooth golden hair proclaim, stretching out his arms, his fingers holding a wine glass half filled with red wine. He took a deep breath, breathing in the freshness of the new day.

"Cut the chase." The other man said curtly.

"You are really no fun. Mr Everbloom sir." The golden hair man replied, shaking his head. "Of course, I won't request your presence in this beloved sacred hall of mine if I don't have anything important to ask you."

"What is it? There's a world meeting soon. Can't you wait till then?" the other man answered.

"If you're sure that what I am about to say next are appropriate to be heard by the other three, you can leave right after. I won't keep you. But as the de facto in charge of the Order of the Eternal Watch, I have the responsibility to keep you in check, my friend. Things have been getting pretty tense lately, I have been receiving reports that young girls and boys have been kidnapped and drained of their blood quite frequently these days, and they have found this at the scene." The golden hair man explains, he took out a wooden tablet from his pocket and place it on the porcelain-top table. A chrysanthemum was carved in detail onto the tablet, an emblem. "The agreement was a maximum of one child sacrifice per month. What have you been doing, Kiku Honda?"

"One child is no longer enough to maintain this body of mine. I was about to request a revision of the agreement in the upcoming meeting anyway." Kiku said, a little condescending.

"By all means. If you think that Miss Daughter of the Sun, Mr Fallen and the lesser council are going to let things slide before your official request, I say go ahead. Look, I said that I am the de facto in charge, but that's only because those two are lazy, you are lazy, and the White King is still slumbering in a world of his own, not because any of you have abilities lower than mine. If you are going to keep stirring trouble like this, then make sure you wipe your mouth after you have eaten, quite literally. Do you know that your men have kidnap a child from a noble, and now that noble have enlisted the help from the Order to bring the child back?" the golden hair man narrated quite agitatedly in response to Kiku's cold reply.

Kiku's face soften a little, then after a while he replied: "I'll make sure to be careful from now on."

The other man sigh in response. He took a long sip from his wine glass and then rub his forehead with his other hand. "Tell me frankly Kiku, what have you been doing? Your body might have been here longer in the Order as Everbloom, but I, Francis Bonnefoy, is here in the Order as The Lover longer than you Kiku Honda."

Kiku's lip remain purse as his forehead wrinkle slightly, thinking.

"Come on. I created a changeling for the noble to clean up the mess you made. A changeling. I deserve some information from you as a form of reward, don't I?" Francis urged; his blue eyes sparkle in the rays shining brightly through the window.

Kiku's eyes, dark as void, look back at the man in front of him. "This body is corroding from the over usage of my power. I need more blood to maintain this body, that is all."

"And my question is: What have you been doing that requires such a high maintenance over your body?" Francis repeated, pouring in more wine into his glass. His cheeks are flush, but his eyes are still as sharp as ever.

Kiku remain quiet. Brooding.

"I can bring this up to the rest of the members and the lesser councils, just so you know." Francis said casually.

"I have created a vessel to contain a soul. And I plan to have a baby to keep that soul permanently in that vessel."

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Francis shouted, spitting out the wine that he have just sip in onto the marbled floor. He wipe the droplets of wine that dribble down the stubble on his chin. "Are you insane?" he repeated again in disbelief. "You are not God; there are things that cannot be created even with powers like ours. This is borderline insanity, our Order exist to prevent such things from happening, and here we are, having one right inside our ranks. I'm informing the rest of them."

"Francis! Don't!" Kiku blurt out, he stood up in response as well. "Don't. I'll stop it right away."

Francis look back at Kiku, narrowing his eyes. "Fine. I don't want any trouble too. If you decide to stop pursuing this mad idea of yours, whatever we have conversate here will stay here. But just so you know Mister, I'll be keeping a lookout for the reports, and I'll be keeping a lookout on you. The next time I catch such actions from you, a meeting will be held amongst the five of us."

"Coming from someone who created an army from it." Kiku puff out indignantly, looking away.

"Shut up." Francis muttered quietly, eyes darkening. "You don't understand the price that came with it."

"I'll be taking my leave then." Kiku replied, face obviously unhappy from this conversation. Francis took a sip out of his wine glass again; he honestly could not care less about Kiku's unhappiness. Rules are rules. He will not break it again.

He took a deep breath and tilt his head up to look at the drawings again, they were lifelike, with a dramatic flair of artistic touch to it, but mostly realistic. The girl on the stake smiles back at him.

"We are all the same, aren't we?"

* * *

Wang Yao pull the sugar mixture in his hand as wide and possible, then turning it, he pull it again. He repeated this process a few times, and each time, he threw in glutinous flour to keep it from sticking on the surface of his fingers. Eventually, it turned into thousands of thin white strands, just like the beard plucked out from a thousand years old dragon. He added in crushed peanuts and it's completed. He look on at his finished work with pride.

Boredom finally chip away the fear he have towards being alone in the house, and Yao decided to crawl out of the blanket to explore the room. Though he still doesn't dare explore the rooms on the second floor, he is happy to be distracted with some crafts in the kitchen for the candles light up with joy the moment he is inside.

"I want it." A voice speaks out, it sounds particularly loud. in the quiet kitchen

Wang Yao jump and turn his head around in fear, silently relieve that it's only Kiku. "You have to stop doing that, my heart can't take this."

"Of course it can, and even if it can't, I'll make sure it starts beating again." Kiku whisper, snaking his arms around the body from the waist. He snuggle his head in between Yao's neck and breathe in deeply, moving his palm up to the bump on his chest. Yao visibly stiffened from the touch in such a sensitive area.

Laughing, awkwardly, he gently break free from Kiku's hug and took a roll of candy and put in in front of Kiku's mouth "Try it. I recalled that the Dragon's beard is your favourite. Lucky for you, I know how to make it." He said, smiling.

Kiku opens his mouth and close it around Yao's fingers. His tongue encircles and cover Yao's fingers with his saliva before he pulls it out. Wang Yao felt a silent exasperation, though he was silently glad that he is no longer alone in this house.

"Where did you go?" Yao finally asked, wiping his fingers on his clothing.

"Did you miss me?" Kiku ask in return.

After thinking for a moment, Yao replied: "Yes. Your house is .. a little too creepy. I do wonder how you managed to live alone in this house for so long. Oh.. There was a servant who came in through some portal wearing a fox mask, I got these ingredients from them. Now I understand why your house is devoid of food."

"You wish for this house to be brighter?"

Wang Yao turn back to him. "You mean.. you have more lamps to light up your house?"

"No." Kiku said.

"Then?"

"The sun will rise tomorrow should you wish to." Kiku said, giving a light, gentle smile.

Wang Yao knit his brow together, confused by Kiku's words. "What do you mean?" But Kiku only lift up his hands and gave a light pinch on Yao's cheek.

"Let's go. I have so much things to talk to you about. And so much things we could do." Kiku continued, his fingers now tuck the stray hair behind Yao's ears. Then, he hold Yao's wrist and led him back to the living room.

Wang Yao look at the man leading him, he wanted to ask if it is possible for him to leave now, he is beginning to feel the burn of worries for Ivan on the other side of his body.

* * *

"I believe you had enough fun from this little adventure of yours." The man on a large chair said, his voice booms across a long, large halls with extremely tall ceilings. The long dome shaped stained glass windows are not that visible from the darkness outside. The man is wearing a thin frame glasses, with hair comb to a neat, professional manner. He is dressed in a casual white shirt and long brown pants.

"Yes Father." Ivan muttered.

The man turns to the women dressed in dark elegance beside him and asked: "Should we start, Victoria?"

"Of course, my dear Alexander. I believe it's time we repay our debts. _It_ is getting restless under the Holy land now…. after all."

"What is stirring under the Holy land?" Ivan ask in curiosity.

Toris gave a light nudge at Ivan to signal the appropriateness of his question, but Ivan felt nothing and instead look on expectantly at his parents for an answer. "We are pretty near the Holy land after all.. Is that the reason why we are near? So.. What is this person or thing that is stirring underneath? Why is it underneath the Holy land? And what debts are we repaying?" A torrent of childlike questions tumble out of Ivan's mouth, a little part of him wish that his parents would answer him and prolong the time taken to go to the experiment room, but another part of him genuinely wants to know the answer.

"You will know in due time, child." Alexander said, gesturing Toris to escort Ivan away.

"Sir Ivan, this way please." Toris asked meekly, bowing a little and tugging a little.

"But-"

"Sir, it's time to go." Toris said a little too loudly, tugging Ivan even harder.

Ivan pouted as he let himself being led away by Toris. "They always says that." Ivan whispered to Toris.

"Yes, yes. They are your parents after all. It is only wise to understand that they knows what they are doing." Toris explains, walking Ivan down the stone corridors. The footsteps silenced by the thick, red carpet with golden-yellow rims on the side.

"I want to go back to Yao…" Ivan whine.

Toris stole a glance at Ivan, and feeling some sort of pity for him he asked: "Why are you so obsessed over this human? He will die soon."

"What do you mean he will die soon?" Ivan asked. Toris could see the darkness in his eyes as he said that and he quickly laugh and replied: "I mean, you are vampire, and he is a human. Time pass so fast for us that humans seems to die soon in comparison, aren't they?"

"Oh…" Ivan let out, letting out a sigh. Then he continued: "Remember the last experiment where my parents said that we are all going to sleep in the coffins because it will make time pass faster?"

Toris nodded.

"I overheard what my parents said to you. That we will be reborn as their true children when their blood are absorbed into our body, because we will be able to sense where they are wherever we go, then we will all truly be a family."

Toris knitted his brow, closed his eyes and nodded understandingly, though inside, he really felt that Ivan is extremely long winded.

"But now Yao is my family. I saw his whole life play before my eyes, and I felt like I met my love before I was born. I knew I have to find him, and I did. So now I will protect him, even at the expense anything." Ivan insisted adamantly, and proudly.

Toris turn to Ivan in shock. _What does he mean by 'Now Yao is my family?'_ But they arrive before the thick, heavy metal door, and behind this door is just one of the many experimental rooms in this mansion. This one is Ivan's.

'_Then again.'_ Toris thought. _'Do I really want to know? No.'_

A mixture of reluctance and resigning to fate in apparent on Ivan's facial expression, he wait for Toris to mutter a few words under breath, and with a swing of his right arms, the heavy door inch inwards slowly, where dust stirs as it got drag by the door. Moving in, another swing of left arms lit up the room filled with artificial lights.

"I've always wondered." Ivan asked, "Why don't you ever just use candles?"

Toris spun his head back at Ivan, looking offended. "Hey, I've spent all my time researching on how to conjure artificial light like the sun without actually burning us, you should appreciate it."

A large chair with straps stood in the middle of the large room that is devoid of any furniture, Toris gesture it to Ivan and Ivan dragged his feet over and sat down. He placed both of his arms on the armrest, and legs spread apart aligned with the chair's feet. Toris strap him up tightly onto the chair, gave a little pat on his shoulders and left the room.

Ivan stare at the room's wall, it felt just like yesterday when he first stare at this same wall. The staring session did not last too long when he heard muffled footsteps from afar slowly nearing into this room, and in came his parents. Alexander and Victoria. They are dressed like royalties, an unusual choice for they normally dressed in white cloak and mask that cover their faces when they are doing any experiments. Victoria is carrying a rectangular box and she place it on the floor, opening it, she carried out a few large bottles of black powders, white candles, a knife and an occult book.

"Well Ivan, remember how talkative you were when we first brought you to this mansion?" Victoria asked, smiling and looking up at Ivan from time to time as she pour the powders in the bottles in a large circle around Ivan, placing white candles occasionally.

"Yes, I do." Ivan answered.

"And the first experiment? You asked lots of questions too, don't you?" Alexander asked, flipping through the pages of the torn and tattered pages of the book, pushing the spectacles up his nose bridge from time to time.

"Yes, I do."

"Do you remember the questions you asked?" Alexander continued.

"Hmmmm… Not really… I only recalled asking why my body was suddenly so grown up after a night of sleep." Ivan said, pondering.

"Do you want to know why now?" Victoria said, she have now completed her patten on the floor and is lighting up the candles. Alexander seem to have found the pages he needed from the book and he held the book wide open.

"Not really, I already got the answer from our library. Somebody put me into a slumber as my body age. Though it only felt like a night have passed." Ivan narrated. "Are you going to make fall asleep for a long time again?"

"Perhaps. But that's not what you should concern yourself about, you should be happy that everything about you will be reveal to you soon enough. But first, close your eyes." Victoria coo, standing behind Ivan and stroking on his hair tenderly.

Ivan started feeling a little agitated from the potential slumber again, but before he could protest any further. Alexander, who is standing in front of them started to recite the lines in the book in tongues Ivan do not understand. Victoria waited, and as the last words left the tip of Alexander's tongue, she sink the sharp blade deep into Ivan's neck. It split the flesh apart cleanly, and a burst of blue blood gushes out of the wound like waterfalls. It stain his front clothing, pour down the chair and onto the powder pattern on the floor. Victoria continues to sink the blade in, dragging it in a zigzag motion. The piece of skin at the back of the neck that was the last thing that connects the head and the body was pulled out with an audible snag and the head was completely decapitated. Victoria holds the head up by the hair, Alexander then continues his recitation.

The blood dripped onto the floor was cleanly sucked up onto the powder lines, as the wet powder slowly spread around to the whole pattern, the ones that touches the candles turned the flames green. When the last of the candles turn into the gloomy colour, the once wet black powder became cracks as it was split apart by multiple soot black tentacles prying to come out of the hole.

Ivan's head knitted his brow as he observe the scene unravelling before him from way above his body. He have never seen this before for his parents often blinded his eyes by digging out his eyeballs before anything, and he always can't remember anything after.

"What's that?" he asked, as he sees more tentacles creeping out from the cracks all around him, nearing his body. "M-Mother… what are those coming out of the cracks?"

The tentacles creep onto his shoes, turning it black and it grew upwards, infecting his whole body in a matter of seconds. The vine like stuff reaches the stump on his neck and creep upwards in the air towards the still bleeding head. The tentacles pull the head down, sealing the wound perfectly, then it continue infecting his head. Ivan's iris turn black as the last of his consciousness slipped away.

The eyeball turn violently in its socket and red iris finally appear in the middle of the black sclera. It took its first ragged breath as Alexander and Victoria now stand side by side in front of this thing, and together, they kneel and kept their head down.

The thing took a glance at its restrained arms and legs and with a twist of its wrist and a move of his thigh, gotten itself free. It look down at both of its darkened limbs as though pondering, then it finally spoke in a deep voice: "A mirror."

Alexander quickly rushes out of the room and push in a long mirror with wheels and locate them in front of the thing. It scrutinize the black face and body in front of the mirror, seemingly unsatisfied. The skin slowly lightens to a deathly pale, black veins crawl all over his body like a web creeping. It lick its now blood red pair of lip, as soft and plump like the freshly cut roses, with a black, long tongue split at the end. The face is clearly Ivan's, but the child like wonder and naivety seems to disappear from the red iris. It was replaced by a strange and mysteriously attractive charm, that seems to tempt even the strongest will of hearts to compel. Still, it frowns from the reflection from the mirror, It look back at the two figures in front of it and asked: "Where have he been?"

"He.. You mean Ivan… H-He was just travelling for an errand." Alexander answered, stuttering from the glance on him.

" DO . NOT . LIE . TO .ME . ALEXANDER. You serve me. You must not defy my will." It boom, the growl echo through the silent and empty room, sending fear to the bottom of the two scientist's hearts. "There is a yearning in this body, and I can feel it. My blood was not the only thing he absorbed when he woke up from the procession. How could the two of you allow this to happen. The day of the reckoning is near. I can taste it. I will not allow anyone to ruin it."

"Yes, Master."

"The binds are finally weakening. I need more blood to be shed over prison. I want you two to send in more vampires within the ranks of the Freemason guild and their governing body. I can hear suspicious whispers amongst them, they are plotting again. This will be a good opportunity to divide them further, then… we conquer."

"Master. The Freemason guild have been hiring vampires hunters and mages from the Eternal Watch, they have already killed a few of our servants. Pure blooded vampires. We still can't find out how they have been doing it." Victoria argue.

The master, possessing Ivan's body, seems to muse over Victoria's words. Then it stood up. A series of loud cracking of bones can be heard and a pair of large grotesque wing split open the flesh on its back and burst out in full glory.

"Master.."

"Send in the vampires. I have something to attend to." It said, before its wings started flapping and lifting it up. The ceiling on the room crumbles and a hole appears, it flew right out, leaving the two scientists behind.

* * *

"Would you play this for me?" Kiku requested as he place a long, rectangular shape thing covered in white cloth in front of Yao. It laid down on the wooden table with a thud.

Wang Yao look down on the thing and back at Kiku. "What is this?"

"Guqin."

Yao's eyes widen in disbelief. Then a small laugh came out of his mouth. Kiku pull the cloth away to reveal a seven pluck string musical instrument. "Wow, this thing is ancient. I haven't seen them since I was young. My lucky siblings never had a chance to touch them, while sad old me have to pluck the strings until my fingers are nothing but bones. Though to be fair, the music from these instruments are exquisite."

"They are ethereal. And it would mean the world if you can play them for me. Just for me."

Yao look at Kiku's face and his firm and insistent attitude. Then he place his fingers onto the musical instrument, the mere touch of those firm, delicate strings brings him back to those old days where he was woken up in the middle of the night to read scores, dressed in tight, ancient, sometimes male, sometimes female costume to perform for crowds. His face scrunch up from those memories. "Alright. I'll play for you. Sit a little further away, the music will flow better." Kiku follow his instruction.

Wang Yao place the Guqin onto the floor, propped up by little stands at the two ends. Pushing the table away so that Kiku could see him, he blow the dust away on the surface. Feeling the strings with his palm and fingers, Yao closes his eyes and took a deep breath. He could hear the soft claps from audience below, as gentle as the music that he and his team have played. Some play the flute, some Guzheng, some clappers and some Erhu. They are always dressed like their ancestors in the palace from dynasties aeons ago, performing for the Emperor and his consorts, his ministers and guests. And in the present day, their audience are their Emperors.

The first sound from the string plucked by his fingers flows through the air lightly, the vibration lingers just as the next sound joins in, mixing in, soon came the next sound, and the next. The notes seems to dance together in a tranquil harmony as they gently fades away. Yao's fingers flows, side by side like a mild manner river, not rushing, just existing at this very moment. The occasional, deliberate taps evoke certain subtle emotions reflected on Yao's facial expression.

"What are doing?" Yao blurted out and pulling some distance away in shock. Kiku have inch in really closely while he was concentrating on the Guqin. "God, you really need to stop doing that. You can't just creep up on me all of a sudden without any sound."

"You look beautiful. Can we do it again?" Kiku asked casually.

Wang Yao is horrified. His libido is insanely high, they have already done it for a few times prior and now he wants it again. "No. We can't" Yao replied bluntly, frowning.

"Hm…" Kiku mused. "Then can you tell me the history of these instruments?"

Yao put his hands on both of Kiku's shoulder and press him down. "I can do that but first you need to stop getting so close to my face. Sit here." Wang Yao look straight into Kiku eyes and explains to him carefully: "To condense the whole history short, a very long time ago, before the modern world was born, there exist dynasties where Emperors rule the land where I came from. The Emperors are powerful and sometimes, they are not human, but they are easy creatures and playing music the best way to appease them. So, the palace they live in have the best musicians and the best instruments in the world. In a way, music we can hear easily today was only meant for the Emperor's ears in the past."

"So, am I your Emperor now?" Kiku asked, giving a slight tug at a corner of his mouth.

"Of course. Anyone who listen to my music are my Emperor." Yao said proudly. "Best experience you will ever get." The light-hearted moment is immediately broke, as the smile on his face turned into a frown. A light creeping ache split across his head, the split grew exponentially and the pain that follows after scares him. The nausea from the intensity of the pain didn't help. Wang Yao can only hold his head and stomach tightly as he started curling in sweat, hoping that it would relieve the pain. But it only gets worst. "It hurt so bad, it hurt so bad." He can only whimper breathlessly.

"What's wrong." Wang Yao heard, but his vision is already blurring, and his senses, numb. The voice of concerns started fading away in the midst of the growing agony.

Everything turns black, and Wang Yao can feel the air being pushed out of his lungs forcefully, as though he was punched and is sinking into the water where all the oxygen are rapidly rushing out of his mouth. He breathe in deeply once and breathe in nothing, he breathe in twice, nothing. Third, nothing, and at last, at his fourth desperate attempt did the air finally fill his lungs.

Wang Yao opens his eyes with his gasp for air.

"Ivan?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Dead man's Blues C9**

**Hi Ilich, Hi Guest, I am not sure if you guys are still here to read this chapter. But I want to thank you for the kind reviews, I love it so much. I'm sorry I was extremely busy these few months and I was facing such a horrible writer's block for this chapter TT that's why it took sooooo long just to get this chapter out.****This pandemic is really taking a toll on me, I do hope you guys are doing well though. Please take very good care of yourselves. **

**On the side note, this story is finally slowly heading towards the big battle and hopefully the end soon. **

* * *

The first thing that greeted Yao when he opens his eyes is Ivan's face. He looks down and finds Ivan's fist clench, sinking beneath his skin, slowly pulling out before his eyes. There is no blood, no wound, it's as though his skin is the surface of the water and an object merely breaks through it. Wang Yao looks back up onto Ivan's face, his excitement momentarily overtook him, and he burst out into a brilliant smile and grab hold onto Ivan's arms.

"You're not Ivan, aren't you?" Yao asked, his smile slowly fades away from his face, changing to that of bewilderment. "What have you done to him?" he continued, slowly feeling his heart sinking.

"You care an awful lot for Ivan. Yet you let another taint you like that. Both this body and the other." It let out a sigh of exasperation or annoyance, Yao could not tell. "I should not have felt this way for a mere human like you, yet I am infuriated and that's really vexing." The voice came out, clearly Ivan's, but taunting and sharp, with a hint of mocking tone.

Wang Yao's breath hitch at the accuracy of the recent events as narrated by this Ivan, and he found himself unable to form any coherent words to reply when recollections of the past flooded his mind, the fear and the guilt mixed into a swirling mess.

"Look at me when I am talking to you." Ivan growl as he grabs Yao's chin to face him.

"Where is Ivan?" Yao managed to squeeze out. Neither the monstrous wings nor the black red eyes scare him, but rather the way this pair of eyes is looking at him, with disgust and disdain. He has always been afraid of telling Ivan the truth, for fear of this exact same look. He could never bear to have Ivan looking at him like that.

"You wish to have the knowledge that I am not Ivan. So that you could appease yourself that what you did was forgivable. Well, I shall reveal the truth to you: I am Ivan. But not the Ivan you know, I do prefer to be referred by another name. I do wish to praise God with this name. You can call me Viktor. Yes, I think I would prefer that very much."

"Where is Ivan?" Yao asked, voice faltering.

Viktor sigh. "Do not speak. As I have said prior, I am infuriated, and your incessant question is not making it any better." His fingers trail the Yao's cheek, slowly dragging it down his neck, his fingers move across Yao's shoulder, tearing the fabric with his now razor-sharp nails. The fabric slides down cleanly away, revealing the skin hidden underneath. A long thin line of blood appears and blotted, eventually becoming heavy enough slide down his skin. Viktor's eyes observe the blood as it moves, then commented: "It seems like Ivan have been treating you really nicely. That's to be expected. That boy contains the last good thing from me. "

"Who are you?"

"Who am I, you asked?" Viktor snicker in response, then it burst out loud into a maniacal laughter. "I am vengeance. I was God's favorite, and I am its equal. But I was abandoned and destroyed, just like countless others because of a tiny mistake that it made."

"W-What are you talking about? Who are you to Ivan? Where is Ivan?"

Viktor grab the back of Yao's head, his palm in between the space of the end of the skull and the start of the neck. His gaze not moving away from Yao's, his head moves in closer to the wound on Yao's shoulder, flicking out his black, forked tongue, he lick the blood away, savoring it and swallowing it in a loud, audible gulp much to the grimace of Yao. The vampiric body reacts to the blood it consumes, it can feel warmth again and it feels comfortable, so comfortable that Viktor bit down the flesh on Yao's shoulder. Yao let out a yelp as he felt the blood pouring, the sucking and licking tickles amidst the pain.

"Does it really matter? When you are looking at a face like this?" He pushes Yao down and climbed on top of him. The blood has served its purpose of warming this body with sexual desire and the ability to do so. With a single swipe, it shredded all the clothing on Yao, the insanity in his eyes is obviously driven by lust. "You will be mine tonight. I will destroy you and this yearning in this heart will be sated and gone with the morning lights."

"No, you can't do this to me." Yao cried out, heart palpitating as he felt something hard pressing against him. "You can't do that." He kept repeating it as Viktor continue its dreadful deed, the only solace Yao could find to keep himself from losing it is Ivan's face. Tears kept falling, from the pain, from the shame, from the constant barrage of insults that Viktor is mercilessly inflicting on the poor soul. The gratification from the fornication and abuse intoxicate Viktor and the more it pushes into the broken body, the more insatiable it becomes, it wanted more, it wanted this body to love him too, but the dilemma of his conflicting nature left him frustrated.

"As long as you live, I will never be rid of this curse." Viktor whispered angrily under his breath, gnarly fingers wrapped around Yao's neck, tight but enough to keep him alive. "But… There might just be use for you yet." It snickered, letting go off Yao's neck and climbing off him.

Yao let out a cough, sobbing and trembling from the ordeal.

Viktor look on coldly on the figure lying in blood and sweat. Then a deprave smirk slowly spread across its lips, then from them, it said: "I wonder how Ivan will react if he sees you like this and realizes that he is the one who did this. It would be a sight to behold. Things are going better than I thought."

It climbs up the bed again and slowly, until he is hovering over Yao, it continued: "That's right. Ivan would be devastated, wouldn't he?" Viktor leans downs, until it is so close to Yao's ears and whispers: "Then Ivan would sleep forever." The lips turn into a satisfied smile, as Yao's horrified face turn to face Viktor, their lips met, with its tongue slithering around his mouth, reaching and tasting the soft uvula. Yao could feel long, cold and slimy thing slipping down, alive and flowing down his throat and into his body en masse.

Changes that came with Viktor disappears as soon as Ivan exist, the blurry sight consumes his eyes, it clears up shortly and Ivan find himself face to face with Yao. His lips and tongue on Yao's and Yao staring back at him with teary eye. He blinks once, then twice, stun at his position. Then he quickly pulls them apart and his heart drop in that instant. His beloved is covered in bite and scratch wounds, dried blood and sweat shimmer his pale white skin, trembling on sheets covered in their fluids. There was a naïve sense of shyness in Ivan's heart from looking at somebody he likes naked, but much more than that, he felt fear. An overwhelming sense of fear and guilt frightened him to the point that a tear slip out of the corner of his eye, Yao is looking at him with broken eyes. He has seen similar scenes like this countless times before, he has woken up countless times in his mansion after a brief period of lapse in his memory, only to find either Toris, Eduard or Raivis with broken bodies lying on the floor like a rag doll, sometimes, it was his siblings and they all became afraid of him. Though this time, its much worst: He have done unspeakable things to Yao, he has ravage him like the beast that tormented him so many years ago.

"Ivan…" Yao breathed out, reaching out to touch the man in front of him. "You're back."

Ivan flinch at the cold touch. "I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I can't stay with you. I will only hurt everyone around me."

"No Ivan..."

But the vampire pulls a distance between them. Yao attempt to move, but the pain emanating from his wounds stops him. Ivan reacted but stops himself from helping Yao, it hurts him to see Yao like this and it hurts him even more to know that he was the one who caused it. "I'm the worst. I don't deserve you; I don't deserve anything." Ivan cried, and in a fit of frustration, he left the room. He found half rotted body of Raivis sitting by the door, Raivis looked up at Ivan and his first reaction was stumbling away in terror, he fell ungracefully, an arm decay out from the elbow when he held them up over his head.

"P-Please don't hurt me." He stuttered.

"Open a portal home."

"What?" Raivis replied, slowly opening his eyes to look back at the figure before him. He breathes out a sigh of relief, silently thanking that he is not the other Ivan.

"Yes, Sir Ivan." Raivis lowered his head, he lifts his remaining arm and aim at an empty spot, he chanted and soon the air distorted and a circular warp space appears. "It's ready, Sir."

Ivan prepares to go through the portal but before he leaves, he said: "Take care of Yao." And soon disappears through the portal. Raivis let go of his arms and the distortion disappears almost immediately.

"Why do I always get the shitty jobs. You owe me big time, Toris Lorinaitis!" Raivis lamented.

* * *

The sudden episode left Kiku scrambling for answers, Yao's soul should be tangled to this body by now. The body is lying motionless in front of him right now, and Kiku is kneeling beside it. He can feel a massive surge of chaotic energy filling the air around him, so thick it feels like he is breathing in sulfur.

Somebody is coming.

The body in front of him, suddenly open its eyes and, slightly turning its head, look at Kiku. And Kiku returned the gesture. "All flowers may bloom and wilt with the seasons, but the Honda family will be everblooming. Kiku Honda. How glad am I to know that the person on the other side is you?"

"Who are you?"

"My name is Viktor, and I am here to offer you a proposition." It said, hands moving to its belly, and a flash of aggression was briefly on his face, but it disappears just as quickly.

"On what basis was this proposition built upon?" Kiku questioned. He can feel the disparity in power between the two of them solely based on how this entity have reached his place through Yao's body, but this power comes with restriction, and depending on what this thing have to offer, it might be to his benefits, though he needs to know his purpose.

"I can see your fruitless attempt at trying to drag that person's soul into this body. You think that a child will keep him distracted here but let me tell you something: His heart belongs to another person." Viktor explains, shooting a smug and taunting look at Kiku.

"And I will do it again and again until he is by my side."

Viktor let out a condescending laugh.

"Humans are indeed interesting."

"Your point is?"

"Well, Kiku Honda, my point is: I can shorten this process for you. I can bring him to you. There's no need for such fancy trickery."

Kiku gave a smile in return, polite but obviously not interested.

Amusement trickle out onto Viktor's face, and it continued: "Ahh... Of course, how ignorant of me. There's nothing the head of the Honda family cannot obtain. Or…. Is there any other reason for this roundabout way of doing things…"?

Kiku's smile disappears, replaced by cold annoyance. He looked away, done with whatever Viktor is trying to pull.

"Nobody likes their stuff tainted. I understand. Willing or not, it seems that the night where he was supposed to die, was orchestrated by none other than our dearest Mr. Honda? Sadly, things did not well for Mr. Honda and the perpetrator defiled the body that he wanted so much. I wonder what Yao will think if he knows about this. Do you think that Yao would be upset that it's because of you that his grandmother died, and he was defiled in the most horrific way or would he be happy that you are disgusted with his defiled body and tried to forcefully transfer him to a new one?"

"How did you know about that?" Kiku gritted his teeth, spitting out the words like venom that threatens to melt such accusation.

"I know a lot more things Kiku Honda, so much dirty little secrets that I can unravel any man's heart." Viktor replied. "And I will give you another offer, help me, in return, I will seal him into this body and destroy the other one. That. Tainted one."

"Is that not I am doing right now?" Kiku gave out a snort of derision.

"It is. But at what cost? Your immortal body passed down from generations that is decaying by the seconds as we are speaking? Or do you enjoy the suspicion of the councils that is trying to stop you from this? Look Kiku, things are made very simple for you, help me and I promise that I will resolve all your problems. I can give you anything you want."

Viktor did not make much points to state its case, but the ones that it did, it hits the bullseye. Kiku was prepared to risk expulsion from the council if it means that he could complete what he wants to do, he thinks back to his miserable life being prepared to be contained within this body, and compared it to the few times he was actually happy in life, suddenly, Viktor's words became very enticing. Kiku's cold eyes met with Viktor's and he said: "And you supposed I will agree without hearing what's my end of the bargain?"

Viktor chuckled, then replied: "Of course not. What I need is very simple: I need a war in Uskye. I don't care what war it is; I need blood shed on the holy land. I want temples to be destroyed, their holy scriptures burned and their priests and priestesses to be killed. That's all."

"You want me to allow a war to ravage Uskye." Kiku repeated, suspicion seeding in his heart.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Viktor smile. "You sure ask a lot of questions, don't you?"

"We need trust to work together. I need it, especially from people like you."

"Have you ever heard of stories of the ancient battles in the sky? The ones where angels fought against each other, and fought against God?"

"I do."

"I want to bring the back the Armageddon. From the wake of it all, we will be reborn, free from the tyranny of God."

Kiku's face that rarely reveal any emotions betrayed him at Viktor's words. A few moments of silence passed before he managed to gather enough words to say: "Those words are not to be spoken lightly. God is listening."

"The new world awaits Kiku. Join me, and I will give you what you want. Else…. " Viktor replied, underneath the tone is a threat that everything would fall apart for him if he refused.

"You got yourself a deal."

Viktor smile. "I'm glad we can come up a conclusion. Now, let us sign the contract."

* * *

"Everyone is late as usual." Francis mumbled half-heartedly. A hand propped his head up on the handle on the throne, the golden eye of the Order before the presence of its master. But even with the presence of the world leaders, the elders, and the lesser councils, only Francis have arrived. He was shrouded in a large black hood, as usual, overlooking the crowd of orderly people in tables and chairs. The old man served tea as soon as he arrives, and the old man appeared again to change out the cold untouched tea with a pipping hot cup. Francis finally pick it up and took a sip of it. Bad tea is never served in this hall, and especially not to a Master like him, but Francis would rather be back in his luxurious mansion sipping on his collection of wine.

The ground shakes, and the people below struggle to keep their balance. Francis's eyes continue to stare off tiredly at the end of the hall, his stubble making him look even more like hobo. Another hooded figure appears on the throne beside him, the figure turned towards Francis and nudge him with his elbow. "Hey."

Beneath the newcomer's hood, a middle aged, scruffy looking man was peering at Francis with interest. "You look more tired since the last time I saw you."

Francis turn back to the man with a hint of disdain and replied: "Aren't you tired asking the same question and hearing the reply every single year? Julius, the one that should have fallen into the hole."

"Aww, come on. It's just a greeting. We haven't seen much of each other." Julius teased.

"If everyone single one of you are doing your job in this Order, we would have seen more of each other." Halfway through his sentence, the ground shook again and this time Kiku arrives, similarly shrouded in the soot black hood. Francis let out a sigh, rubbing his head before continuing: "I wonder if Gilbert can make it this time. He was always absent, and people are starting to question if the White King even existed."

"He will be fine." Julius reassure lightheartedly, dragging his words in habit.

Francis look over at Kiku, hoping that he will remember what he promised to do.

The fourth time the ground shook, two hooded figures appear before the middle throne. The tall, imposing figure dressed in similar black hood gave a firm, reassuring pat on the arm of the shorter one dressed in an unusual snow white hood before nudging it towards the throne at the other end, beside Kiku. The tall hooded figure sat in the middle throne and beckon the old man in charge of this great hall. After some exchange of whispers, the old man nodded, gave a respectful bow, and went down to announce the start of the world meeting.

Francis was surprised to say the least at the sight of the familiar white hood. He tilts his body over to the other side of the throne and started talking: "Good morning my beautiful moon, have anyone told you that you look stunning as always today?"

"Glad to see that you are still as glib as always, Mr Bonnefoy." A deep and firm, but obviously a lady's voice replied from underneath the hood. The dust particles in the air dance amongst the sunlight bursting into rays from the windows and luminate them all, and as the daughter of the moon moves with her speech, the intense, mysterious eyes glitter underneath the hood, her strong facial features glow as though a women like her truly belongs to the sun.

"The White King is a rare guest that you managed to invite." Francis commented, glancing pass her and towards the person sitting beside Kiku. He can't help but stole a glance at Kiku as well, though he can't quite tell anything from that man's stoic face.

"It was…." the Daughter deliberated, "Not an easy feat."

"I can tell. But there's no need to tell me how. I do not wish to know, love." Francis replied, knowing full well the consequences of understanding things, he always must be the one doing it.

"As you wish. Mr Bonnefoy."

The meeting commerce with the country lords and dukes presenting their issues that they wish the Order would focus on, then the government bodies and organizations next. To the crowd below, their hood shield and blurs their face to them, it allows them to continue to stay unknown, making certain spying jobs easier. That's why when the Uskye representative announce the possibility of the breakout of war, they did not see the subtle change of expression in Kiku's eyes.

"… Therefore, freemason guild is no longer reliable as an ally in our war against the terrorism of Versathu's brotherhood. The tide of this war has shifted dramatically in favour of the brotherhood, we as the voice of our people, plead with the Council of Five, invoking the ancient law of the Order of Eternal watch, to break the neutrality and aid us, for the consequence of their success would bring disaster to this world."

Gasp, and sharp intake of breath echoes through the great hall when Uskye's representative invoked the ancient law. The representatives look at each other, side to side in confusion and hesitancy, bewildered at the decision of Uskye's government representative. To know that the consequences of invoking the law comes with a very heavy price, not just monetarily, but the very essence of the invoker, or in much cases, invokers must be given as a tribute to one of the Five, whereby these essences will unlock the shackles that bound them to the Order, to the invoker temporarily.

"You wish to invoke the ancient law?" the Daughter repeated the main point from Uskye's representative, albeit with a hint of skepticism. Her head cock a little, then turn to the Lover beside him as though to confirm it.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"You do know the full price that comes with it, I assume?" she continued.

"Yes, we have come to this conclusion collectively, for we saw no other way out. Please lend us your aid."

She let out a sigh, and look from left to right, before asking: "Any takers for this one?"

Francis look away, silently dreading that he would be the one chosen again because nobody ever takes up anything in this council, but not for long because a taker voiced out soon after.

"I'll take it." Came Kiku's voice.

Francis spun his head so fast he could swear he heard a cracking sound from his neck. His knitted brow hidden under his hood was filled with question marks. There are a thousand reasons Francis can think of that Kiku would never take it, but there he goes, proven wrong. He wanted to question, but the dread that the job would fall back to him again made him kept his mouth shut.

Even the Daughter raised her brow in surprise, though she is never one that would question much, she beckons the old man once again, and he came bowing. After some short exchange, the old man went down to address Uskye's representative, bringing him and his entourage to another room.

The White King moves closer to Kiku, his voice like a harsh whisper: "What are you going to take in return?"

Kiku turn to him and replied: "An opportunity." Then a small smirk tug at the side of his lips.

"I don't know what that is. But is it possible for you to ask for a feather from the fire bird in Uskye? I'll give you something in return."

"You have nothing to offer." Kiku replied tartly. But he quickly adds on: "But I'll ask for it."

"Thank you."

The White King's attention was promptly taken away as another country specifically requested for his help, and he turned towards them to listen. He caught a glimpse of the girl who called out to him before, looking with a face full of indignant displeasure at him. He lowered his head, a little from the shame of something he did years ago. He can't face her, not now, and as he intended to, not forever.

The world meeting continued and will continue to last for a few more days. However, as the world meeting was called off for the day, another meeting amongst the lesser council and the Five would start. It was a long, rectangular room, with a long table in the middle, a large chandelier hung on top luminate the interior, grey bricks with royal red decorations. Sitting at the head of the table is the Daughter of the moon, and by the sides are Kiku and the White King on her left, while Francis and Julius on her left. The rest of the seats are filled by the lesser councils.

Food are served according to their personal taste and as soon as the last of the server left and shut the doors, the Five promptly pulled their hoods down, revealing their face for the first time since the start of the meeting. Julius is a middle-aged man, brownish uncombed hair, with a 12 o'clock shadow around a confidence smile that never seem to leave his face, enhancing the suave air around him, a charm for both men and women. The Daughter, with her long black hair and sharp, discerning eyes that can look right pass you, her thin lips pursed, her aura inviting, yet unapproachable. The White King, worthy of his epithet, have snow white hair, his skin, eyebrows and even his eyelashes are eerily white as well, making his red lips and red eyes looks even bloodier than it should have. He lightly squints his eyes, seemingly bothered by the lights.

Francis cuts out a piece of the medium rare steak on his plate and place it in his mouth, his eyes looking over at Kiku, who is picking up rice from his bowl with his chopstick. He still has his suspicion with Kiku, though he did stop like he said he would, somehow Francis can't shake this feeling off him.

"Uskye's representative have inform me of their situation. There would be a war." Kiku said, dabbing a napkin over his mouth from his meal. "I'm here to seek permission to participate in it. Please, lesser councils and my fellow colleagues, tell me your views on it."

"I disagree. I do not believe that the situation in Uskye requires a war that one the Five needs to attend. Do not forget the power we each possessed." Francis retorted.

"What's the situation on Uskye?" the Daughter asked.

"Currently the brotherhood is gaining the upper hand. There are reports coming in that there are members from the brotherhood who can perform inhuman feat recently, all investigations turn cold because anybody they sent out to investigate are missing, except for one that came back half deformed. The brotherhood is experimenting, we don't know the extent of their experiment result. It would be the Order's loss if the brotherhood took over Uskye. They can't be reasoned with, and we will be in for more trouble from neighboring countries and Uskye itself. It is justification enough for a war."

One of the lesser councils voiced out: "Perhaps it's something we can do something about?"

"No… They are dealing with something darker."

"How did you know?" Julius question, he places a piece of chicken in his mouth, pointing his oily finger at him.

"Based on the report that they have shown me, it does not belong to any magic or work known to modern mages. It's ancient arts, older than you, Julius."

"Ancient arts?" the White King repeated, turning to Kiku with bewilderment. "That might explain the strong disturbance in my dreams."

"That's how you woke up?" Francis directly his question to the White King.

"I woke up in a rampage. The Daughter managed to contain my rampage into my form enough to attend this meeting. The disturbance is that strong, and it means that things that are supposed to be asleep are stirring… And we can confirm now that its sleeping somewhere in Uskye. I can't be with you physically, but I will monitor the situation in my dreams. I will support the war if it is what's needed to keep it sleeping."

Kiku nodded, seemingly grateful for the White King's words.

"Well if the White King puts it this way, there must be something formidable underneath Uskye then. That's interesting, should have taken this mission for myself." Julius commented, his eyes sparkling at the prospect of a proper war.

"Save it. When was the last time you did anything?" Francis retorted with a faint snort.

Another voice came from the lesser councils again: "Then the department of resources shall tally up the numbers of soldiers the Order can spare for this war. We will send in the documents to you shortly, Master Everbloom."

"That will be great."

"Bring a copy to me as well. If this war is necessary, then the five of us should all look at it. Especially a certain individual fallen from the grace. And of course, a certain Mister Casanova." The Daughter replied, glancing over at Julius and Francis.

* * *

Ivan is lying on his side inside the coffin with his eyes wide open, the dark, confine space gave him the only security he can have right now. If he has a heart, it would be thumping with fear. He came back to the mansion, wishing he could fall back asleep like he used to and hopefully he could sleep forever, but nightmares haunted him. He was stuck in a body he could not control, like an audience in his own body, he burns the world and brutally slaughter the people he cares and love while he watches. It horrifies him as his eyes continues to stare into the dark, the back of his eyes painfully etched with those images in his nightmare cracks into a dull headache into his brain.

But call him selfish, or whatnot, the one that left him trembling is the sight of the cold, mutilated and dead body of his lover. A large, horizontal slash cleanly cut off Yao's body into two from the waist, his eyes unfocused, staring into nothing. His blood stain Ivan's leathery, gnarly fingers.

'What should I do?' Ivan thought over and over, almost like a desperate mantra now.

_Sleep_

A soothing, alluring voice seems to whisper in his ears. _Sleep. Everything will be fine. _It's calming enough that Ivan believes in it. He closes his eyes. The strain in his eyes doesn't burn as much anymore. The images from his nightmare blurs and slowly fade into the dark.

Viktor slowly opens its eyes and let out a gratified sigh. "It saddens me to let such powers sleep along with Ivan, but that's only for now. At least I have the mobility to handle things myself from now on, and not those useless morons that can't do half the things right. When I am truly free, Ivan's power will come back to me. I have that to look forward to." it smiled, reassuring itself.

* * *

Wang Yao woke up again, opening his eyes to the dim lights in the room. The wooden ceiling and the smell of the incense became all too familiar, he felt exhausted from the bottom of his heart from travelling from body to body, but he admits that the quietness from Kiku's house provided some respite from the ordeal. The soft, muffled pitter patter of the rain on the roofs have somehow calm his mind enough for him to think, though the phantom pain and aches on his previous body still resonate clearly on this one. Yao rubbed his nose, sniffling loudly, he moves his body to his side and curl a little, feeling a little heavy. Sliding his arms downwards, he felt a bump on his belly.

A wave of panic seizes him and went away as quickly as it came. Yao let out a sigh, reassuring himself, he almost forgotten that he had promised to help Kiku. A small part of his mind started wandering to Ivan and he felt tears filling up his eyes and falling, trembling from the strong emotions gripping and shaking him.

Even then, as time passes, sadness becomes tiring and boredom soon take over Wang Yao. He sat up and look around the room. Books in languages he doesn't know pile up in a corner, a few unlit candles on stands stood in random corners around the house, the fruit basket on the table beside him now contains peaches. He breathes out a sigh and stood up, he felt his back aching badly and held it unconsciously. Wang Yao started exploring the rooms again.

There are multiple study room and bedroom, which Yao felt bewildered because it seems as though Kiku prefers to do his stuff in the main room. Then there are room filled with shelves of books, and it felt as though a lot of people have lived here at one point. He flips through books, photo albums and diaries that was signed off by him from ages ago.

"That… very old... Sure doesn't look like it." Wang Yao let out an incredulous snort as he glances down at the date. His eyes widened as he continued: "And here I am thinking he was the one younger than me. But apparently not. Though one must wonder how he stayed so young for so long. His magic is very strong… might be related to that, since the famous five from the Order have live for so long with no changes in the lineup."

It took him a while, but he soon reaches the last room on the second floor - the one that Kiku have warned him not to enter. He almost forgotten about that, until he realise that unlike the other doors, this one is different and that its locked tightly. Wang Yao stopped trying and as he was turning around, an extremely strong gust of wind blew pass him, and he held onto the wall to keep from falling. It was scary to say the least, and as he was calming down, he noticed that the tightly shut door is now slightly ajar. He drew his brows together, a little unsettled by this.

"When something does not make any sense. It's best not to get involved." Wang Yao muttered under his breath, something that his grandmother has once told him. A seed of panic grows in his heart, and he was always one to trust his own instinct from his years of experience hunting for the blues. He slowly moves backwards, away from the door. All of a suddenly a loud, a sharp screech startled him, Wang Yao turn to his feet and fell back through the opened door. A rat scurried pass immediately.

Yao head scan around the room for fear that it was something that he was not supposed to know. But it was nothing. It's just a plain wooden room with furniture covered in white clothes, they are mostly at the side of the room, hidden from the lights, in the middle of it is something covered by a similarly thick, white, and dusty cloth. Wang Yao climb up to his feet, a tiny pain shot through across his belly, he rubs the feelings away and walk towards the cloth. The moonlight is exceptionally bright as it shines through the window from above luminating the object in front of him, as though beckoning him. Yao could see the dust dancing ominously around. He took a deep breath, fingers clutching on the cloth, contemplating on whether or not he should do it. Then with another breath, he pulled the cloth down.

The disturbed dust fly with gusto from the action, prompting him to shut his eyes and fan his palm around his face in the bid to clear the dust. He slowly opens his eyes and look into the object in front of him: A Mirror. A wide, full length mirror is standing right in front of him, reflecting every single thing back. Wang Yao cock his head to the side, drawing his brows together in bewilderment. He has never recalled seeing a single mirror in this house, even the bathroom, and here is one. Then slowly, his eyes widened as his breath gets faster, his fingers gingerly touch his cheek.

"This… This is my face. This shouldn't be my face…" Wang Yao muttered out. He felt heaviness in his heart, the kind you feel when you know something have gone very wrong. "Kiku is lying… What does he want from me?" He looks down at his tummy, it is bulging. The emotions that he tried to keep away, to forget, all came gushing out again. His tears did not fall, they crash around him. The mirror in front of him reflecting his face and his body – a scam – as clear as the day.

As the tears blur his sight of the reflection, his image started swirling, as at first Yao did not take any note but the swirling soon blurs into another image as well. It started showing moving images of familiar sights, the road to his old house where he and his grandma lost his life. A man, that man that took their life and defiled them sneaking in. It started replaying his worst memories right in front of him. Wang Yao wanted to look away, but he couldn't, he felt numb, and rooted.

The images flashes between those scenes and to Kiku as he laid down on a tatami mat, with a young child laid right beside him surrounded by other women sitting down, dressed in elaborate ritual costume and wore scary masks. A clear crisp sound of bell resonate from the open air, signaling the ritual commerce, one of the women with a sprigs of leaves stood up, and as she took a step back, music from all around sounded as she dances and circle around them. Another one threw zig-zag shaped paper streamer periodically as the rest shook their wrist, sounding the tinkling bells. The lady outside stops beside the young child and rest the tip of the sprig on it, every sound in the room stops. The ladies beside pull the young child up, but the child seems to have woken up during the process and was struggling against the two women. The child was no match in strength against the adults and was dragged and tied up tightly on a stake located behind them all. Another lady laid down wood all around the child as the child beg in a language Yao can't understand. The music resumes as the lady started dancing again, then out of nowhere, a few men with sticks of fire started lighting up the wood underneath the child. The boy started screaming in a heart wrenching pitch as the fires started licking the woods and the fabric on his body. As the fire continues to burn, the lady drew the sprigs close towards the child mumbles, as drew the sprigs up, she draws a translucent but clearly visible image of the young child with it. Then slowly, she guides its into Kiku's body. She mumbles something to end it off and pull the sprigs back. The music never stops as she dances and circled them more. The child's body went limp and continues to burn and chars as it blurs off.

"That young child… He looks familiar." Wang Yao muttered under his breath in horror. Then as though a reply, the image blurs and reappear into another. The young child was walking on a layer of thick snow covered in wounds, he was shivering and his nose red from the biting cold. A figure walking towards the child started attending to him and as soon as the face of the figure clears up, everything made sense.

That face was his. It was him. Wang Yao.


End file.
